THE  HEART  OF  PRINCESS  OSRA 

By  ANTHONY  HOPE 
Author  of  "The  Prisoner  of  Zenda" 


In  Preparation 

"PHROSO" 

By  the  Author  of  this  Volume 


THE  HEART  OF 

PRINCESS  OSRA 


BY 

ANTHONY  HOPE 

AUTHOR  OF 
"The  Prisoner  of  Zenda "  « The  Dolly  Dialogues"  Etc. 


WITH  NUMEROUS  FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRA  TIONS 
BY 

H.  C  EDWARDS 


flew  l<?orfj  anb  lon&on 

Frederick  A*  Stokes  Company 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  J895,  J896 
By  A.  H.  Hawkins 

Copyright,  J896 
By  Frederick  A.  Stokes  Company 

Copyright,  J895,  J896 
By  S.  S.  McClure,  Limited 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAGE. 

L     The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith  \ 

IL     The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles    5J 
III*    The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse    79 

IV*    The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  High- 
wayman too 

V.    The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein  J3J 

VL    The  Device  of  Giraido  the  Painter      -  J75 

VIL  The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau  201 

VIII,  The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg  226 

IX*  The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke  of 

Mittenheim 258 


397335 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


44  *  Kill  him  for  me,  then ;  kill  him  for  me  '  "  Frontispiece 

414 Take  her  and  be  happy '"       •  \\ 

"  Stephen  stood  on  the  threshold  with  his  staff  in  his  hand  "  37 

The  physician  receives  Princess  Osra       -  56 

44  4  Madame,  if  you  will,  you  can  do  me  a  great  service ' n  10  J 

44  With  either  hand  he  drew  a  silver-mounted  pistol "     •  1 14 

44  She  asked  the  officer  why  a  throng  of  people  hastened 

to  the  city"  118 

444 My  lord,  where  is  the  Princess?"'    -  160 

44  He  drove  his  sword  into  his  body,  and  the  Count  gave 

back  before  it "  165 

44  He  walked  with  his  head  down  and  his  eyes  on  the  ground  "  17  \ 

44  He  took  it  and  drained  it "        -  204 
*  On  either  side  of  it  sat  the  priest  of  the  village  and  the 

Miller  of  Hofbau"  215 


44  4  Forgive  me,  forgive  me  I'"    -  252 

44  A  young  man  sprang  up,  and,  with  a  low  bow,  drew 

aside  to  let  her  pass "      -  259 

44  4  You  are  the  beauty  of  the  world,'  he  answered  smiling  "  263 


. 


The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

j» 

CHAPTERL 
The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith. 

"  STEPHEN  !  Stephen  !  Stephen  ! " 
The  impatient  cry  was  heard  through  all 
the  narrow  gloomy  street,  where  the  old 
richly-carved  house-fronts  bowed  to  meet 
one  another  and  left  for  the  eye's  comfort 
only  a  bare  glimpse  of  blue.  It  was,  men 
said,  the  oldest  street  in  Strelsau,  even  as 
the  sign  of  the  "  Silver  Ship  "  was  the  oldest 
sign  known  to  exist  in  the  city.  For  when 
Aaron  Lazarus  the  Jew  came  there,  seventy 
years  before,  he  had  been  the  tenth  man  in 
unbroken  line  that  took  up  the  business  ; 
and  now  Stephen  Nados,  his  apprentice 
and  successor,  was  the  eleventh.  Old  Laz- 
arus had  made  a  great  business  of  it,  and 
had  spent  his  savings  in  buying  up  the 
better  part  of  the  street ;  but  since  Jews 
then  might  hold  no  property  in  Strelsau, 


2  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

he  had  taken  all  the  deeds  in  the  name  of 
Stephen  Nados ;  and  when  he  came  to  die, 
being  unable  to  carry  his  houses  or  his 
money  with  him,  having  no  kindred,  and 
caring  not  a  straw  for  any  man  or  woman 
alive  save  Stephen,  he  bade  Stephen  let 
the  deeds  be,  and,  with  a  last  curse  against 
the  Christians  (of  whom  Stephen  was  one, 
and  a  devout  one),  he  kissed  the  young 
man,  and  turned  his  face  to  the  wall  and 
died.  Therefore  Stephen  was  a  rich  man, 
and  had  no  need  to  carry  on  the  business, 
though  it  never  entered  his  mind  to  do 
anything  else ;  for  half  the  people  who 
raised  their  heads  at  the  sound  of  the  cry 
were  Stephen's  tenants,  and  paid  him  rent 
when  he  asked  for  it ;  a  thing  he  did  when 
he  chanced  to  remember,  and  could  tear  him- 
self away  from  chasing  a  goblet  or  fashion- 
ing a  little  silver  saint ;  for  Stephen  loved 
his  craft  more  than  his  rents  ;  therefore, 
again,  he  was  well  liked  in  the  quarter. 

"  Stephen  !  Stephen  ! "  cried  Prince 
Henry,  impatiently  hammering  on  the 
closed  door  with  his  whip.  "  Plague  take 
the  man  !  Is  he  dead?" 

The  men  in  the  quarter  went  on  with 
their  work ;  the  women  moved  idly  to  the 
doors  ;  the  girls  came  out  into  the  street 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith.         3 

and  clustered  here  and  there,  looking  at  the 
Prince.  For  although  he  was  not  so  hand- 
some as  that  scamp  Rudolf,  his  brother, 
who  had  just  come  back  from  his  travels 
with  half  a  dozen  wild  stories  spurring  after 
him,  yet  Henry  was  a  comely  youth,  as  he 
sat  on  his  chestnut  mare,  with  his  blue  eyes 
full  of  impatience,  and  his  chestnut  curls 
fringing  his  shoulders.  So  the  girls  clus- 
tered and  looked.  Moreover  Stephen  the 
smith  must  come  soon,  and  the  sight  of 
him  was  worth  a  moment's  waiting ;  for  he 
buried  himself  all  day  in  his  workshop, 
and  no  laughing  challenge  could  lure  him 
out. 

"  Though,  in  truth,"  said  one  of  the  girls, 
tossing  her  head,  "  it's  thankless  work  to 
spend  a  glance  on  either,  for  they  do  not 
return  it.  Now  when  Rudolf  comes " 

She  broke  off  with  a  laugh,  and  her  com- 
rades joined  in  it.  Rudolf  left  no  debts  of 
that  sort  unpaid,  however  deep  he  might  be 
in  the  books  of  Stephen  Nados  and  of  the 
others  who  furnished  his  daily  needs. 

Presently  Stephen  came,  unbolting  his 
door  with  much  deliberation,  and  greeting 
Prince  Henry  with  a  restrained  courtesy. 
He  was  not  very  well  pleased  to  see  his 
guest,  for  it  was  a  ticklish  moment  with  the 


4  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osr a* 

nose  of  Saint  Peter,  and  Stephen  would 
have  liked  to  finish  the  job  uninterrupted. 
Still,  the  Prince  was  a  prince,  a  gentleman, 
and  a  friend,  and  Stephen  would  not  be 
uncivil  to  him. 

"  You  ride  early  to-day,  sir,"  he  observed, 
patting  the  chestnut  mare. 

"  I  have  a  good  reason,"  answered 
Henry.  "  The  Lion  rages  to-day." 

Stephen  put  up  his  hand  to  shelter  his 
eyes  from  a  ray  of  sunshine  that  had 
evaded  the  nodding  walls  and  crept  in  ;  it 
lit  up  his  flaxen  hair,  which  he  wore  long 
and  in  thick  waves,  and  played  in  his  yel- 
low beard ;  and  he  looked  very  grave.  For 
when  the  Lion  raged,  strange  and  alarming 
things  might  happen  in  the  city  of  Strelsau. 
The  stories  of  his  last  fit  of  passion  were 
yet  hardly  old. 

"  What  has  vexed  the  King  ?  "  he  asked  ; 
for  he  knew  that  Prince  Henry  spoke  of 
his  father,  Henry  surnamed  the  Lion,  now 
an  old  man,  yet  as  fierce  as  when  he  had 
been  young.  "  Is  it  your  brother  again  ?" 

"  For  a  marvel,  no.  It  is  myself,  Ste- 
phen. And  he  is  more  furious  with  me 
than  he  has  ever  been  with  Rudolf  ;  aye, 
even  more  than  he  was  at  all  the  stories 
that  followed  my  brother  home." 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith.         5 

"And  what  is  the  cause  of  it  all,  sir,  and 
how  is  it  in  my  power  to  help?" 

"  That  you  will  find  out  very  soon,"  said 
the  Prince  with  a  bitter  laugh.  "  You  will 
be  sent  for  to  the  palace  in  an  hour,  Ste- 
phen." 

"  If  it  is  about  the  King's  ring,  the  ring 
is  not  finished,"  said  Stephen. 

"  It  is  not  about  the  ring.  Yet  indeed 
it  is,  in  a  way,  about  a  ring.  For  you  are 
to  be  married,  Stephen.  This  very  day  you 
are  to  be  married." 

"  I  think  not,  sir,"  said  Stephen  mildly. 
"  For  it  is  a  thing  that  a  man  himself  hears 
about  if  it  be  true." 

"  But  the  King  thinks  so ;  Stephen,  have 
you  remarked,  among  my  sister  Osra's 
ladies,  a  certain  dark  lady,  with  black  hair 
and  eyes?  I  cannot  describe  her  eyes." 

"  But  you  can  tell  me  her  name,  sir,"  sug- 
gested Stephen,  who  was  a  practical  man. 

"  Her  name?  Oh,  her  name  is  Hilda — 
Hilda  von  Lauengram." 

"  Aye,  I  know  the  Countess  Hilda.  I 
have  made  a  bracelet  for  her." 

"  She  is  the  most  beautiful  creature 
alive!"  cried  Prince  Henry,  in  a  sudden 
rapture  and  so  loudly  (being  carried  away 
by  his  passion)  that  the  girls  heard  him 


6  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

and  wondered  of  whom  he  spoke  with  so 
great  an  enthusiasm. 

"  To  those  to  whom  she  seems  such,"  ob- 
served Stephen.  "But,  pray,  how  am  I  con- 
cerned in  all  this,  sir?" 

The  Prince's  smile  grew  more  bitter  as 
he  answered  : 

"  Why,  you  are  to  marry  her.  It  was  an 
idle  suggestion  of  Osra's,  made  in  jest  ;  my 
father  is  pleased  to  approve  of  it  in  earnest." 

Then  he  bent  in  his  saddle  and  went  on 
in  a  hurried  urgent  whisper  :  "  I  love  her 
better  than  my  life,  Stephen — better  than 
heaven  ;  and  my  faith  and  word  are  pledged 
to  her ;  and  last  night  I  was  to  have  fled 
with  her — for  I  knew  better  than  to  face  the 
old  Lion — but  Osra  found  her  making  prep- 
arations and  we  were  discovered.  Then 
Osra  was  scornful,  and  the  King  mad,  and 
Rudolf  laughed ;  and  when  they  talked  of 
what  was  to  be  done  to  her,  Osra  came  in 
with  her  laughing  suggestion.  It  caught 
the  King's  angry  fancy,  and  he  swore  that 
it  should  be  so.  And,  since  the  Archbishop 
is  away,  he  has  bidden  the  Bishop  of  Moden- 
stein  be  at  the  palace  at  twelve  to-day,  and 
you  will  be  brought  there  also,  and  you 
will  be  married  to  her.  But,  by  heavens,  I'll 
have  your  blood  if  you  are ! "  With  this 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*         7 

sudden  outbreak  of  fury  the  Prince  ended. 
Yet  a  moment  later*  he  put  out  his  hand 
to  the  smith,  saying :  "  It's  not  your  fault, 


man." 


"  That's  true  enough,"  said  the  smith  ; 
"  for  I  have  no  desire  to  marry  her ;  and 
it  is  not  fitting  that  a  lady  of  her  birth 
should  mate  with  a  smith  ;  she  is  of  a  great 
house,  and  she  would  hate  and  despise 


me." 


Prince  Henry  was  about  to  assent  when 
his  eye  chanced  to  fall  on  Stephen  the  smith. 
Now  the  smith  was  a  very  handsome  man — 
handsomer,  many  said,  than  Prince  Rudolf 
himself,  whom  no  lady  could  look  on  with- 
out admiration  ;  he  stood  six  feet  and  two 
inches  in  his  flat  working  shoes  ;  he  was  very 
broad,  and  could  leap  higher  and  hurl  a  stone 
farther  than  any  man  in  Strelsau.  More- 
over he  looked  kind  and  gentle,  yet  was  re- 
puted to  grow  angry  at  times,  and  then  to  be 
very  dangerous.  Therefore  Prince  Henry, 
knowing  (or  thinking  that  he  knew)  the 
caprices  of  women,  and  how  they  are  caught 
by  this  and  that,  was  suddenly  seized  with 
a  terrible  fear  that  the  Countess  Hilda 
might  not  despise  Stephen  the  smith.  Yet 
he  did  not  express  his  fear,  but  said  that  it 
was  an  impossible  thing  that  a  lady  of  the 


8  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

Countess's  birth  (for  the  House  of  Lauen- 
gram  was  very  noble)  should  wed  a  silver- 
smith, even  though  he  were  as  fine  a  fellow 
as  his  good  friend  Stephen  ;  to  which  gra- 
cious speech  Stephen  made  no  reply,  but 
stood  very  thoughtful,  with  his  hand  on  the 
neck  of  the  chestnut  mare.  But  at  last  he 
said  :  "In  any  case  it  cannot  be,  for  I  am 
bound  already." 

"  A  wife  ?  Have  you  a  wife  ?  "  cried  the 
Prince  eagerly. 

"  No  ;  but  my  heart  is  bound,"  said 
Stephen  the  smith. 

"  The  King  will  make  little  of  that.  Yet 
who  is  she  ?  Is  she  any  of  these  girls  who 
stand  looking  at  us  ?  " 

"  No,  she  is  none  of  these,"  answered 
Stephen,  smiling  as  though  such  an  idea 
were  very  ludicrous. 

"  And  are  you  pledged  to  her  ?  " 

"  I  to  her,  but  not  she  to  me." 

"  But  does  she  love  you  ?  " 

"I  think  it  most  unlikely,"  said  Stephen 
the  smith. 

"  The  Lion  will  care  nothing  for  this," 
groaned  the  Prince  despondently.  "  They 
will  send  for  you  in  half  an  hour.  For 
heaven's  sake  spare  her,  Stephen  !  " 

"Spare  her,  sir?" 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*         9 

"  Do  not  consent  to  marry  her,  however 
urgently  the  King  may  command  you." 

The  smith  shook  his  head,  smiling  still. 
Prince  Henry  rode  sorrowfully  away,  spend- 
ing not  a  glance  on  the  bevy  of  girls  who 
watched  him  go ;  and  Stephen,  turning 
into  his  house,  shut  the  door,  and  with  one 
great  sigh  set  to  work  again  on  the  nose 
of  Saint  Peter. 

"  For  anyhow,"  said  he,  "  a  man  can 
work."  And  after  a  long  pause  he  added, 
"  I  never  thought  to  tell  any  one  ;  but  if  I 
must,  I  must." 

Now,  sure  enough,  when  the  clock  on  the 
Cathedral  wanted  a  quarter  of  an  hour  of 
noon,  two  of  the  King's  Guard  came  and 
bade  Stephen  follow  them  with  all  haste 
to  the  palace  ;  and  since  they  were  very 
urgent  and  no  time  was  to  be  lost,  he  fol- 
lowed them  as  he  was,  in  his  apron,  without 
washing  his  hands  or  getting  rid  of  the  dust 
that  hung  about  him  from  his  work.  How- 
ever he  had  finished  Saint  Peter's  nose  and 
all  had  gone  well  with  it,  so  that  he  went 
in  a  contented  frame  of  mind,  determined 
to  tell  the  whole  truth  to  King  Henry  the 
Lion  sooner  than  be  forced  into  a  mar- 
riage with  the  Countess  Hilda  von  Lauen- 
gram. 


io  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

The  Lion  sat  in  his  great  chair ;  he  was 
a  very  thin  old  man,  with  a  face  haggard 
and  deeply  lined  ;  his  eyes,  set  far  back  in 
his  head,  glowed  and  glowered,  and  his 
fingers  pulled  his  sparse  white  beard.  On 
his  right  Prince  Rudolf  lolled  on  a  low 
seat,  smiling  at  the  play  ;  on  his  left  sat 
that  wonderfully  fair  lady,  the  Princess 
Osra,  then  in  the  first  bloom  of  her  young 
beauty ;  and  she  was  smiling  scornfully. 
Prince  Henry  stood  before  his  father,  and 
some  yards  from  him  was  the  Countess 
Hilda,  trembling  and  tearful,  supported  by 
one  of  her  companions ;  and  finally,  since 
the  Archbishop  was  gone  to  Rome  to  get 
himself  a  Scarlet  Hat,  the  Bishop  of  Moden- 
stein,  a  young  man  of  noble  family,  was 
there,  most  richly  arrayed  in  choicest  lace 
and  handsomest  vestments,  ready  to  per- 
form the  ceremony.  Prince  Rudolf  had 
beckoned  the  Bishop  near  him,  and  was  jest- 
ing with  him  in  an  undertone.  The  Bishop 
laughed  as  a  man  laughs  who  knows  he 
should  not  laugh  but  cannot  well  help  him- 
self ;  for  Rudolf  owned  a  pretty  wit,  al- 
though it  was  sadly  unrestrained. 

The  King's  fury,  having  had  a  night  and 
a  morning  to  grow  cool  in,  had  now  settled 
into  a  cold  ironical  mood,  which  argued  no 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*       n 

less  resolution  than  his  first  fierce  wrath. 
There  was  a  grim  smile  on  his  face  as  he 
addressed  the  smith,  who,  having  bowed  to 
the  company,  was  standing  between  the 
Countess  and  Prince  Henry. 

"  The  House  of  Elphberg,"  said  the  King, 
with  mocking  graciousness,  "  well  recog- 
nises your  worth,  Stephen,  my  friend.  We 
are  indebted  to  you— 

11  It's  a  thousand  crowns  or  more  from 
Prince  Rudolf  alone,  sire,"  interrupted  Ste- 
phen, with  a  bow  to  the  Prince  he  named. 

"  For  much  faithful  service,"  pursued  the 
King,  while  Rudolf  laughed  again.  "  I 
have  therefore  determined  to  reward  you 
with  the  hand  of  a  lady  who  is,  it  may  be, 
above  your  station,  but  in  no  way  above  your 
worth.  Behold  her  !  Is  she  not  hand- 
some? On  my  word,  I  envy  you,  smith. 
She  is  beautiful,  young,  high-born.  You 
are  lucky,  smith.  Nay,  no  thanks.  It  is 
but  what  you  deserve — and  no  more  than 
she  deserves.  Take  her  and  be  happy," 
and  he  ended  with  a  snarling  laugh,  as  he 
waved  his  lean  veined  hand  towards  the 
unhappy  Countess,  and  fixed  his  sneering 
eyes  on  the  face  of  his  son  Henry,  who  had 
turned  pale  as  death,  but  neither  spoke  nor 
moved. 


12  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

The  Bishop  of  Modenstein — he  was  of 
the  House  of  Hentzau,  many  of  which  have 
been  famous  in  history — lifted  up  his  hands 
in  horror  at  Rudolf's  last  whispered  jest, 
and  then,  advancing  with  a  bow  to  the  King, 
asked  if  he  were  now  to  perform  his  sacred 
duties. 

"  Aye,  get  on  with  it,"  growled  the  Lion, 
not  heeding  the  Countess's  sobs  or  the 
entreaty  in  his  son's  face.  And  the  Prin- 
cess Osra  sat  unmoved,  the  scornful  smile 
still  on  her  lips  ;  it  seemed  as  though  she 
had  no  pity  for  a  brother  who  could  stoop, 
or  for  a  girl  who  had  dared  to  soar  too  high. 

"Wait,  wait!"  said  Stephen  the  smith. 
"  Does  this  lady  love  me,  sire  ?  " 

"  Aye,  she  loves  you  enough  for  the  pur- 
pose, smith,"  grinned  the  King.  "  Do  not 
be  uneasy." 

"  May  I  ask  her  if  she  loves  me,  sire  ?  " 

"  Why,  no,  smith.  Your  King's  word 
must  be  enough  for  you." 

"  And  your  Majesty  says  that  she  loves 
me?" 

"  I  do  say  so,  smith." 

"  Then,"  said  Stephen,  "  I  am  very  sorry 
for  her ;  for  as  there's  a  heaven  above  us, 
sire,  I  do  not  love  her." 

Prince    Rudolf      laughed  ;  Osra's    smile 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        13 

broadened  in  greater  scorn  ;  the  Countess 
hid  her  face  in  her  companion's  bosom. 
The  old  King  roared  out  a  gruff  burst. 
"  Good,  good  !  "  he  chuckled.  "  But  it  will 
come  with  marriage,  smith  ;  for  with  mar- 
riage love  either  comes  or  goes — eh,  son 
Rudolf? — and  since  in  this  case  it  cannot 
go,  you  must  not  doubt,  friend  Stephen, 
that  it  will  come."  And  he  threw  himself 
back  in  his  chair,  greatly  amused  that  a 
smith,  when  offered  the  hand  of  a  Countess, 
should  hesitate  to  take  it.  He  had  not 
thought  of  so  fine  a  humiliation  as  this  for 
the  presumptuous  girl. 

"That  might  well  be,  sire,"  admitted 
Stephen,  "  were  it  not  that  I  most  passion- 
ately love  another." 

"  Our  affections,"  said  the  King,  "  are 
unruly  things,  smith,  and  must  be  kept  in 
subjection  ;  is  it  not  so,  son  Rudolf  ?  " 

"  It  should  be  so,  sire,"  answered  the 
merry  Prince. 

But  the  Princess  Osra,  whose  eyes  had 
been  scanning  Stephen's  figure,  here  broke 
suddenly  into  the  conversation. 

"  Are  you  pledged  to  her  whom  you  love 
so  passionately  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  have  not  ventured  to  tell  her  of  my 
love,  madame,"  answered  he,  bowing  low. 


14  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

"  Then  there  is  no  harm  done,"  observed 
Prince  Rudolf.  "  The  harm  lies  in  the 
telling,  not  in  the  loving." 

"  Tell  us  something  about  her,"  com- 
manded the  Princess ;  and  the  King,  who 
loved  sport  most  when  it  hurt  others, 
chimed  in  :  "  Aye,  let's  hear  about  her  whom 
you  prefer  to  this  lady.  In  what  shop  does 
she  work,  smith  ?  Or  does  she  sell  flowers  ? 
Or  is  she  a  serving-girl  ?  Come,  listen, 
Countess,  and  hear  about  your  rival." 

Prince  Henry  took  one  step  forward  in 
uncontrolled  anger ;  but  he  could  not  meet 
the  savage  mirth  in  the  old  man's  eyes,  and, 
sinking  into  a  chair,  spread  his  hand  across 
his  face.  But  Stephen,  regarding  the  King 
with  placid  good-humour,  began  to  speak 
of  her  whom  he  loved  so  passionately. 
And  his  voice  was  soft  as  he  spoke. 

"  She  works  in  no  shop,  sire,"  said  he, 
"nor  does  she  sell  flowers,  nor  is  she  a 
serving-girl  ;  though  I  would  not  care  if 
she  were.  But  one  day,  when  the  clouds 
hung  dark  over  our  street,  she  came  riding 
down  it,  and  another  girl  with  her.  The 
two  stopped  before  my  door,  and,  seeing 
them,  I  came  out— 

"It  is  more  than  you  do  for  me,"  re- 
marked Prince  Rudolf. 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        15 

Stephen  smiled,  but  continued  his  story. 
"  I  came  out ;  and  she  whom  I  love  gave  me 
a  bracelet  to  mend.  And  I,  looking  at  her 
rather  than  at  the  bracelet,  said,  4  But  al- 
ready it  is  perfect.'  But  she  did  not  hear, 
for,  when  she  had  given  me  the  bracelet,  she 
rode  on  again  at  once  and  took  no  more  no- 
tice of  me  than  of  the  flies  that  were  crawl- 
ing up  my  wall.  That  was  the  first  and  is 
the  last  time  that  I  have  spoken  to  her  un- 
til this  day.  But  she  was  so  beautiful  that 
there  and  then  I  swore  that,  until  I  had  found 
means  and  courage  to  tell  her  my  love,  and 
until  she  had  thrice  refused  it,  I  would 
marry  no  other  maiden  nor  speak  a  word  of 
love." 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Prince  Rudolf, 
"  that  the  oath  has  some  prudence  in  it ; 
for  if  she  prove  obdurate,  friend  Stephen, 
you  will  then  be  able  to  go  elsewhere ; 
many  lovers  swear  more  in  temperately." 

"  But  they  do  not  keep  their  oaths,"  said 
Stephen,  with  a  shrewd  look  at  the  Prince. 

"  You  had  best  let  him  alone,  my  son," 
said  the  old  King.  "  He  knows  what  all  the 
country  knows  of  its  future  King." 

"Then  he  may  go  and  hang  with  all  the 
country,"  said  the  Prince  peevishly. 

But  the  Princess  Osra  leant  a  little  for- 


1 6  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

ward  towards  Stephen,  and  the  Countess 
Hilda  also  looked  covertly  out  from  the 
folds  of  her  friend's  dress  at  Stephen.  And 
the  Princess  said  : 

"  Was  she  then  so  beautiful,  this  girl  ?" 

"  As  the  sun  in  heaven,  madame,"  said 
the  smith. 

"  As  beautiful  as  my  pretty  sister  ?  "  asked 
Rudolf  in  careless  jest. 

"Yes,  as  beautiful,  sir,"  answered  Stephen. 

"Then,"  said  the  cruel  old  King,  "very 
much  more  beautiful  than  this  Countess  ?  " 

"  Of  that  you  must  ask  your  son  Henry, 
sire,"  said  Stephen  discreetly. 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  the  King,  "  you  must 
put  up  with  the  Countess.  We  cannot  all 
have  what  we  want  in  this  world,  can  we, 
son  Henry?"  and  he  chuckled  again  most 
maliciously. 

"  Not,  sire,  till  my  lady  has  thrice  refused 
me,"  the  smith  reminded  the  King. 

"  Then  she  must  be  quick  about  it.  For 
we  all,  and  my  lord  Bishop  here,  are  wait- 
ing. Send  for  her,  Stephen — by  heaven,  I 
have  a  curiosity  to  see  her !  " 

"  And,  by  heaven  !  so  have  I,  "  added 
Prince  Rudolf  with  a  merry  smile.  "And 
poor  Henry  here  may  be  cured  by  the 
sight.  " 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*       17 

The  Princess  Osra  leant  a  little  further 
forward,  and  said  gently  : 

"  Tell  us  her  name,  and  we  will  send  for 
her.  Indeed  I  also  would  like  to  see  her" 

"  But  if  she  refuses,  I  shall  be  worse  off 
than  I  am  now  ;  and  if  she  says  yes,  still 
I  must  marry  the  Countess,"  objected  the 
smith. 

"  Nay,"  said  the  King,  "if  she  does  not 
refuse  you  three  times,  you  shall  not  marry 
the  Countess,  but  shall  be  free  to  try  your 
fortune  with  the  girl ;  "  for  the  smith  had 
put  the  old  Lion  in  a  better  temper,  and  he 
thought  he  was  to  witness  more  sport. 

"Since  your  Majesty  is  so  good,  I  must 
tell  her  name,"  said  Stephen,  "  though  ! 
had  rather  have  declared  my  love  to  her- 
self alone." 

"  It  is  the  pleasantest  way,"  said  Prince 
Rudolf,  "  but  the  thing  can  be  done  in  the 
presence  of  others  also." 

"  You  must  tell  us  her  name  that  we  may 
send  for  her,"  said  the  Princess,  her  eyes 
wandering  now  from  the  Countess  to  the 
smith,  and  back  to  the  Countess  again. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Stephen  sturdily,  "the 
lady  who  came  riding  down  the  street  and 
took  away  my  heart  with  her  is  called  Osra, 
and  her  father  is  named  Henry." 


i8  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

A  moment  or  two  passed  before  they 
understood  what  the  smith  had  said.  Then 
the  old  King  fell  into  a  fit  of  laughter, 
half  choked  by  coughing ;  Prince  Rudolf 
clapped  his  hands  in  merry  mockery,  and  a 
deep  flush  spread  over  the  face  of  the  Prin- 
cess ;  while  the  Countess,  her  companion, 
and  the  younger  Prince  seemed  too  aston- 
ished to  do  anything  but  stare.  As  for 
Stephen,  having  said  what  he  had  to  say, 
he  held  his  peace — a  thing  in  him  which 
many  men,  and  women  also,  would  do  well 
to  imitate  ;  and,  if  they  cannot,  let  them 
pray  for  the  grace  that  is  needful.  Heaven 
is  omnipotent. 

The  old  King,  having  recovered  from  his 
fit  of  laughing,  looked  round  on  the  smith 
with  infinite  amusement,  and,  turning  to  his 
daughter,  he  said  :  "  Come,  Osra,  you  have 
heard  the  declaration.  It  remains  only  for 
you  to  satisfy  our  good  friend's  conscience 
by  refusing  him  three  times.  For  then  he 
will  be  free  to  do  our  pleasure  and  make 
the  Countess  Hilda  happy." 

The  heart  of  women  is,  as  it  would  seem, 
a  strange  thing ;  for  the  Princess  Osra, 
hearing  what  the  smith  had  said  and  learn- 
ing that  he  had  fallen  passionately  in  love 
with  her  on  the  mere  sight  of  her  beauty, 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        19 

suddenly  felt  a  tenderness  for  him  and  a 
greater  admiration  than  she  had  entertained 
before  ;  and  although  she  harboured  no  ab- 
surd idea  of  listening  to  his  madness,  or  of 
doing  anything  in  the  world  but  laugh  at  it 
as  it  deserved,  yet  there  came  on  her  a 
strange  dislike  of  the  project  that  she  had 
herself,  in  sport,  suggested  :  namely,  that 
the  smith  should  be  married  immediately  to 
the  Countess  Hilda  by  the  Lord  Bishop  of 
Modenstein.  The  fellow,  this  smith,  had 
an  eye  for  true  beauty,  it  seemed.  It  would 
be  hard  to  tie  him  down  to  this  dusky, 
black-maned  girl ;  for  so  the  Princess  de- 
scribed the  lady  whom  her  brother  loved, 
she  herself  being,  like  most  of  the  Elph- 
bergs,  rather  red  than  black  in  color.  Ac- 
cordingly, when  the  King  spoke  to  her,  she 
said  fretfully : 

"  Am  I  to  be  put  to  refuse  the  hand  of 
such  a  fellow  as  this  ?  Why,  to  refuse  him 
is  a  stain  on  my  dignity  !  "  And  she  looked 
most  haughty. 

"  Yet  you  must  grant  him  so  much  be- 
cause of  his  oath,"  said  the  King. 

"Well,  then,  I  refuse  him,"  said  she  tartly, 
and  she  turned  her  eyes  away  from  him. 

"  That  is  once,"  said  Stephen  the  smith 
calmly,  and  he  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  Princess's 


20  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra« 

face.  She  felt  his  gaze,  her  eyes  were  drawn 
back  to  his,  and  she  exclaimed  angrily  : 

"  Yes,  I  refuse  him,"  and  again  she 
looked  away.  But  he  looked  still  more  in- 
tently at  her,  waiting  for  the  third  refusal. 

"  It  is  as  easy  to  say  no  three  times  as 
twice,"  said  the  King. 

"  For  a  man,  sire,"  murmured  Prince 
Rudolf ;  for  he  was  very  learned  in  the  per- 
ilous knowledge  of  a  woman's  whims,  and, 
maybe,  read  something  of  what  was  passing 
in  his  sister's  heart.  Certainly  he  looked  at 
her  and  laughed,  and  said  to  the  King  : 

"  Sire,  I  think  this  smith  is  a  clever  man, 
for  what  he  really  desires  is  to  wed  the 
Countess,  and  to  do  it  without  disobliging 
my  brother.  Therefore  he  professes  this 
ridiculous  passion,  knowing  well  that  Osra 
will  refuse  him,  and  that  he  will  enjoy  the 
great  good  fortune  of  marrying  the  Coun- 
tess against  his  will.  Thus  he  will  obey 
you  and  be  free  from  my  brother's  anger. 
In  truth,  you're  a  crafty  fellow,  Master  Ste- 
phen!" 

"There  is  no  craft,  sir,"  said  Stephen. 
"  I  have  told  nothing  but  the  truth." 

But  the  King  swore  a  loud  oath,  crying : 
"  Aye,  that  there  is  !  Rudolf  has  hit  the 
mark.  Yet  I  do  not  grudge  him  his  good 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        21 

luck.     Refuse   him,    Osra,   and    make    him 
happy." 

But  the  dark  flush  came  anew  on  the 
Princess's  face,  for  now  she  did  not  know 
whether  the  smith  really  loved  her  or 
whether  he  had  been  making  a  jest  of  her 
in  order  to  save  himself  in  the  eyes  of  her 
brother  Henry,  and  it  became  very  intoler- 
able to  her  to  suppose  that  the  smith  de- 
sired the  Countess,  and  had  lied  in  what  he 
said  about  herself,  making  a  tool  of  her. 
Again,  it  was  hardly  more  tolerable  to  give 
him  to  the  Countess,  in  case  he  truly  loved 
herself ;  so  that  her  mind  was  very  greatly 
disturbed,  and  she  was  devoured  with  eager- 
ness to  know  the  reality  of  the  smith's  feel- 
ings towards  her  ;  for,  although  he  was  only 
a  smith,  yet  he  was  a  wonderfully  hand- 
some man — in  truth,  it  was  curious  that  she 
had  not  paid  attention  to  his  looks  before. 
Thus  she  was  reluctant  to  refuse  him  a 
third  time,  when  the  Bishop  of  Moden- 
stein  stood  there,  waiting  only  for  her  word 
to  marry  him  to  the  Countess ;  and  she 
rose  suddenly  from  her  seat  and  walked  to- 
wards the  door  of  the  room,  and,  when  she 
had  almost  reached  the  door,  she  turned 
her  head  over  her  shoulder  and  cast  one 
smile  at  Stephen  the  smith.  As  she  glanced, 


22  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

the  blush  again  mounted  to  her  face,  making 
her  so  lovely  that  her  father  wondered, 
and  she  said  in  arch  softness :  "  I'll  refuse 
him  the  third  time  some  other  day  ;  two  de- 
nials are  enough  for  one  day,"  and  with  that 
she  passed  through  the  door  and  vanished 
from  their  sight. 

The  King  and  Rudolf,  who  had  seen  the 
glance  that  she  cast  at  Stephen,  fell  to 
laughing  again,  swearing  to  one  another 
that  a  woman  was  a  woman  all  the  world  over, 
whereat  the  lips  of  the  Bishop  twitched. 

"  But  the  marriage  can't  go  on,"  cried 
Rudolf  at  last. 

"  Let  it  rest  for  to-day,"  said  the  King, 
whose  anger  was  past.  "  Let  it  rest.  The 
Countess  shall  be  guarded ;  and,  since  this 
young  fool"  (and  he  pointed  to  his  son 
Henry)  "  will  not  wander  while  she  is  caged, 
let  him  go  where  he  will.  Then  as  soon  as 
Osra  has  refused  the  smith  a  third  time,  we 
will  send  for  the  Bishop." 

"  And  what  am  I  to  do,  sire  ?  "  asked  Ste- 
phen the  smith. 

"  Why,  my  son-in-law  that  would  be," 
chuckled  the  King,  "  you  may  go  back  to 
where  you  came  from  till  I  send  for  you 
again." 

So  Stephen,  having  thanked   the  King, 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        23 

went  back  home,  and,  sitting  down  to  the 
chasing  of  a  cup,  became  very  thoughtful; 
for  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  Countess  had 
been  hardly  treated,  and  that  the  Prince  de- 
served happiness,  and  that  the  Princess  was 
yet  more  lovely  than  his  eyes  had  found 
her  before. 

Thus,  in  his  work  and  his  meditations,  the 
afternoon  wore  away  fast.  So  goes  time 
when  hand  and  head  are  busy. 

The  Princess  Osra  walked  restlessly  up 
and  down  the  length  of  her  bed-chamber. 
Dinner  was  done  and  it  was  eight  o'clock, 
and,  the  season  being  late  October,  it  had 
grown  dark.  She  had  come  thither  to  be 
alone  ;  yet,  now  that  she  was  alone,  she  could 
not  rest.  He  was  an  absurd  fellow — that 
smith  !  Yes,  she  thought  him  fully  as  hand- 
some as  her  brother  Rudolf.  But  what  did 
Henry  find  to  love  in  the  black-brown  Hilda  ? 
She  could  not  understand  a  man  caring  for 
such  a  colour ;  a  blackamoor  would  serve  as 
well  !  Ah,  what  had  that  silly  smith  meant  ? 
It  must  have  been  a  trick,  as  Rudolf  said. 
Yet  when  he  spoke  first  of  her  riding  down 
the  street,  there  was  a  look  in  his  eyes  that  a 
man  can  hardly  put  there  of  his  own  will. 
Did  the  silly  fellow  then  really ?  Nay, 


24  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

that  was  absurd  ;  she  prayed  that  it  might 
not  be  true,  for  she  would  not  have  the  poor 
fool  unhappy.  Nay,  he  was  no  fool.  It 
was  a  trick,  then  !  How  dared  the  insolent 
knave  use  her  for  his  tricks  ?  Was  there  no 
other  maiden  in  Strelsau  whose  name  would 
have  served  ?  Must  he  lay  his  tongue  to 
the  name  of  a  daughter  of  the  Elphbergs  ? 
The  fellow  deserved  flogging,  if  it  were  a 
trick.  Ah,  was  it  a  trick?  Or  was  it  the 
truth?  Oh,  in  heaven's  name,  which  was 
it  ?  And  the  Princess  tore  the  delicate  silk 
of  her  ivory  fan  to  shreds,  and  flung  the 
naked  sticks  with  a  clatter  on  the  floor. 

"  I  can't  rest  till  I  know,"  she  cried,  as 
she  came  to  a  stand  before  a  lo-ng  mirror 
let  into  the  panel  of  the  wall,  and  saw  her- 
self at  full  length  in  it.  As  she  looked  a 
smile  came,  parting  her  lips,  and  she  threw 
her  head  back  as  she  said  :  "  I  will  go  and 
ask  the  smith  what  he  meant."  And  she 
smiled  again  at  her  own  face  in  triumphant 
daring  ;  for  when  she  looked,  she  thought, 
"  I  know  what  he  meant !  Yet  I  will  hear 
from  himself  what  he  meant." 

Stephen  the  smith  sat  alone  in  his  house  ; 
his  apprentices  were  gone,  and  he  himself 
neither  worked  nor  supped,  but  sat  still  and 
idle  by  his  hearth.  The  street  was  silent 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*         25 

also,  for  it  rained  and  nobody  was  about. 
Then  suddenly  came  a  light  timid  rap  at 
the  door ;  so  light  was  it  that  the  smith 
doubted  if  he  had  really  heard,  but  it  came 
again  and  he  rose  leisurely  and  opened  the 
door.  Even  as  he  did  so  a  slight  tall  figure 
slipped  by  him,  an  arm  pulled  him  back,  the 
door  was  pushed  close  again,  and  he  was 
alone  inside  the  house  with  a  lady  wrapped 
in  a  long  riding-cloak,  and  so  veiled  that 
nothing  of  her  face  could  be  seen. 

"  Welcome,  madame,"  said  Stephen  the 
smith  ;  and  he  drew  a  chair  forward  and 
bowed  to  his  visitor.  He  was  not  wearing 
his  apron  now,  but  was  dressed  in  a  well- 
cut  suit  of  brown  cloth  and  had  put  on  a 
pair  of  silk  stockings.  He  might  have 
been  expecting  visitors,  so  carefully  had  he 
arrayed  himself. 

"  Do  you  know  who  I  am?"  asked  the 
veiled  lady. 

"  Since  I  was  a  baby,  madame,"  answered 
the  smith,  "  I  have  known  the  sun  when  I 
saw  it,  even  though  clouds  dimmed  its  face." 

A  corner  of  the  veil  was  drawn  down,  and 
one  eye  gleamed  in  frightened  mirth. 

"  Nobody  knows  I  have  come,"  said  Osra. 
"  And  you  do  not  know  why  I  have  come." 

"  Is  it  to  answer  me  for  the  third  time  ?  " 


26  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

asked  he,  drawing  a  step  nearer,  yet  observ- 
ing great  deference  in  his  manner. 

"  It  is  not  to  answer  at  all,  but  to  ask. 
But  I  am  very  silly  to  have  come.  What  is 
it  to  me  what  you  meant  ?" 

"  I  cannot  conceive  that  it  could  be  any- 
thing, madame,"  said  Stephen,  smiling. 

"Yet  some  think  her  beautiful  —  my 
brother  Henry,  for  example." 

"  We  must  respect  the  opinions  of 
Princes,"  observed  the  smith. 

"  Must  we  share  them  ?"  she  asked,  draw- 
ing the  veil  yet  a  little  aside. 

"  We  can  share  nothing — we  humble  folk 
— with  Princes  or  Princesses,  madame." 

"  Yet  we  can  make  free  with  their  names, 
though  humbler  ones  would  serve  as  well." 

"  No  other  would  have  served  at  all,  ma- 
dame." 

"  Then  you  meant  it  ?  "  she  cried  in  sud- 
den half-serious  eagerness. 

"  Nay,  but  what,  madame  ?  " 

"  I  don't  care  whether  you  meant  it  or 
not." 

"  Alas  !  I  know  it  so  well,  that  I  marvel 
you  have  come  to  tell  me." 

The  Princess  rose  and  began  to  walk  up 
and  down  as  she  had  in  her  own  chamber. 
Stephen  stood  regarding  her  as  though 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        27 

God  had  made  his  eyes  for  that  one  pur- 
pose. 

"  The  thing  is  nothing,"  she  declared 
petulantly,  "  but  I  have  a  fancy  to  ask  it. 
Stephen,  was  it  a  trick,  or — or  was  it  really 
so  ?  Come,  answer  me !  I  can't  spend 
much  time  on  it." 

"  It  is  not  worth  a  thought  to  you.  If 
you  say  no  a  third  time,  all  will  be  well." 

"You  will  marry  the  Countess?" 

"Can  I  disobey  the  King,  madame?" 

"  I  am  very  sorry  for  her,"  said  the  Prin- 
cess. "A  lady  of  her  rank  should  not  be 
forced  to  marry  a  silversmith." 

"  Indeed  I  thought  so  all  along.  There- 
fore  " 

"You  played  the  trick?"  she  cried  in 
unmistakable  anger. 

Stephen  made  no  answer  for  a  time, 
then  he  said  softly :  "If  she  loves  the 
Prince  and  he  her,  why  should  they  not 
marry  ?  " 

"  Because  his  birth  is  above  hers." 

"  I  am  glad,  then,  that  I  am  of  no  birth, 
for  I  can  marry  whom  I  will." 

"  Are  you  so  happy  and  so  free,  Ste- 
phen?" sighed  the  Princess  ;  and  there  was 
no  more  of  the  veil  left  than  served  to 
frame  the  picture  of  her  face. 


28  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  So  soon  as  you  have  refused  me  the 
third  time,  madame,"  bowed  the  smith. 

"  Will  you  not  answer  me?"  cried  the 
Princess  ;  and  she  smiled  no  more,  but  was 
as  eager  as  though  she  were  asking  some 
important  question. 

"  Bring  the  Countess  here  to-morrow  at 
this  time,"  said  Stephen,  "and  I  will  answer." 

"  You  wish,  perhaps,  to  make  a  compari- 
son between  us  ?  "  she  asked  haughtily. 

"  I  cannot  be  compelled  to  answer  ex- 
cept on  my  own  terms,"  said  the  smith. 
"  Yet  if  you  will  refuse  me  once  again,  the 
thing  will  be  finished." 

"  I  will  refuse  you,"  she  cried,  "when  I 
please." 

"  But  you  will  bring  the  Countess,  ma- 
dame?" 

"I  am  very  sorry  for  her.  I  have  be- 
haved ill  to  her,  Stephen,  though  I  meant 
only  to  jest." 

"  There  is  room  for  amends,  madame," 
said  he. 

The  Princess  looked  long  and  curiously 
in  his  face,  but  he  met  her  glance  with  a 
quiet  smile. 

"  It  grows  late,"  said  he,  "  and  you  should 
not  be  here  longer,  madame.  Shall  I  escort 
you  to  the  palace  ?  " 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        29 

"  And  have  every  one  asking  with  whom 
Stephen  the  smith  walks  ?  No,  I  will  go 
as  I  came.  You  have  not  answered  me, 
Stephen." 

"And  you  have  not  refused  me,  ma- 
dame." 

"  Will  you  answer  me  to-morrow  when 
I  come  with  the  Countess  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  will  answer  then." 

The  Princess  had  drawn  near  to  the  door; 
now  Stephen  opened  it  for  her  to  pass  out ; 
and  as  she  crossed  the  threshold,  she  said  : 

"  And  I  will  refuse  you  then — perhaps  ;  " 
with  which  she  darted  swiftly  down  the 
dark,  silent,  shining  street,  and  was  gone  ; 
and  Stephen,  having  closed  the  door,  passed 
his  hand  twice  over  his  brow,  sighed  thrice, 
smiled  once,  and  set  about  the  preparation 
of  his  supper. 

On  the  next  night,  as  the  Cathedral  clock 
struck  nine,  there  arose  a  sudden  tumult  and 
excitement  in  the  palace.  King  Henry  the 
Lion  was  in  such  a  rage  as  no  man  had 
ever  seen  him  in  before  ;  even  Rudolf,  his 
son,  did  not  dare  to  laugh  "at  him  ;  courtiers, 
guards,  attendants,  lackeys,  ran  wildly  to 
and  fro  in  immense  fear  and  trepidation. 
A  little  later,  and  a  large  company  of  the 
King's  Guard  filed  out,  and,  under  the  com- 


30  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

mand  of  various  officers,  scattered  them- 
selves through  the  whole  of  Strelsau,  while 
five  mounted  men  rode  at  a  gallop  to  each  of 
the  five  gates  of  the  city,  bearing  commands 
that  the  gates  should  be  closed,  and  no 
man,  woman,  or  child  be  allowed  to  pass 
out  without  an  order  under  the  hand  of  the 
King's  Marshal.  And  the  King  swore  by 
heaven,  and  by  much  else,  that  he  would 
lay  them — that  is  to  say,  the  persons  whose 
disappearance  caused  all  this  hubbub — by 
the  heels,  and  that  they  should  know  that 
there  was  life  in  the  Lion  yet ;  whereat 
Prince  Rudolf  looked  as  serious  as  he 
could  contrive  to  look — for  he  was  wonder- 
fully amused — and  called  for  more  wine. 
And  the  reason  of  the  whole  thing  was 
no  other  than  this,  that  the  room  of  the 
Princess  Osra  was  empty,  and  the  room 
of  the  Countess  Hilda  was  empty,  and  no- 
body had  set  eyes  on  Henry,  the  King's 
son,  for  the  last  two  hours  or  more.  Now 
these  facts  were,  under  the  circumstances 
of  the  case,  enough  to  upset  a  man  of  a 
temper  far  more  equable  than  was  old  King 
Henry  the  Lion. 

Through  all  the  city  went  the  Guards, 
knocking  at  every  door,  disturbing  some  at 
their  suppers,  some  from  their  beds,  some 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        31 

in  the  midst  of  revelry,  some  who  toiled 
late  for  a  scanty  livelihood.  When  the 
doors  were  not  opened  briskly,  the  Guard 
without  ceremony  broke  them  in  ;  they 
ransacked  every  crevice  and  cranny  of  every 
house,  and  displayed  the  utmost  zeal  im- 
aginable ;  nay,  one  old  lady  they  so  terrified 
that  she  had  a  fit  there  where  she  lay  in 
bed,  and  did  not  recover  for  the  best  part 
of  a  month.  And  thus,  having  traversed  all 
the  city  and  set  the  whole  place  in  stir  and 
commotion,  they  came  at  last  to  the  street 
where  Stephen  lived,  and  to  the  sign  of  the 
"  Silver  Ship,"  where  he  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness bequeathed  to  him  by  Aaron  Lazarus 
the  Jew. 

"  Rat,  tat,  tat ! "  came  thundering  on  the 
door  from  the  sword-hilt  of  the  Sergeant  in 
command  of  the  party. 

There  was  no  answer ;  no  light  shone 
from  the  house,  for  the  window  was  closely 
shuttered.  Again  the  Sergeant  hammered 
on  the  door. 

"  This  pestilent  smith  is  gone  to  bed,"  he 
cried  in  vexation.  "  But  we  must  leave  no 
house  unsearched.  Come,  we  must  break 
in  the  door !  "  and  he  began  to  examine  the 
door,  and  found  that  it  was  a  fine  solid 
door,  of  good  oak  and  clamped  with  iron. 


32  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

"  Phew,  we  shall  have  a  job  with  this 
door  !  "  he  sighed.  "  Why,  in  the  devil's 
name,  doesn't  the  fellow  answer  ?  Stephen, 
Stephen  !  Ho,  there  !  Stephen  !  " 

Yet  no  answer  came  from  the  inside  of 
the  house. 

But  at  this  moment  another  sound  struck 
sharp  on  the  ears  of  the  Sergeant  and  his 
men.  It  was  the  noise  of  flames  crackling  ; 
from  the  house  next  to  Stephen's  (which 
belonged  to  him,  but  was  inhabited  by  a 
fruit-seller)  there  welled  out  smoke  in  vol- 
umes from  every  window ;  and  the  fruit- 
seller  and  his  family  appeared  at  the  win- 
dows calling  for  aid.  Seeing  this,  the  Ser- 
geant blew  very  loudly  the  whistle  that  he 
carried  and  cried  "  Fire  !  "  and  bade  his  men 
run  and  procure  a  ladder  ;  for  plainly  the 
fruit-seller's  house  was  on  fire,  and  it  was  a 
more  urgent  matter  to  rescue  men  and 
women  from  burning  than  to  find  the  Coun- 
tess and  the  Prince.  Presently  the  ladder 
came,  and  a  great  crowd  of  people,  roused 
by  the  whistle  and  the  cries  of  fire,  came 
also  ;  and  then  the  door  of  Stephen's  house 
was  opened,  and  Stephen  himself,  looking 
out,  asked  what  was  the  matter.  Being 
told  that  the  next  house  was  on  fire,  he 
turned  very  grave — for  the  house  was  his— 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith.       33 

and  waited  for  a  moment  to  watch  the  fruit- 
seller  and  his  family  being  brought  down 
the  ladder,  which  task  was  safely  and  pros- 
perously accomplished.  But  the  Sergeant 
said  to  him  :  "  The  fire  may  well  spread, 
and  if  there  is  anyone  in  your  house,  it  would 
be  prudent  to  get  them  out." 

"  That  is  well  thought  of,"  said  Stephen 
approvingly.  "  I  was  working  late  with 
three  apprentices,  and  they  are  still  in  the 
house."  And  he  put  his  head  in  at  his 
door  and  called  :  "  You  had  better  come 
out,  lads,  the  fire  may  spread."  But  the 
Sergeant  turned  away  again  and  busied  him- 
self in  putting  the  fire  out. 

Then  three  lads,  one  being  very  tall, 
came  out  of  Stephen's  house,  clad  in  their 
leather  breeches,  their  aprons,  and  the  close- 
fitting  caps  that  apprentices  wore ;  and  for  a 
moment  they  stood  watching  the  fire  at  the 
fruit-seller's.  Then,  seeing  that  the  fire  was 
burning  low — which  it  did  very  quickly — 
they  did  not  stay  till  the  attention  of  the 
Sergeant  was  released  from  it,  but,  accom- 
panied by  Stephen,  turned  down  the  street, 
and,  going  along  at  a  brisk  rate,  rounded 
the  corner  and  came  into  the  open  space  in 
front  of  the  Cathedral. 

"  The  gates  will  be  shut,  I  fear,"  said  the 


34  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

tallest   apprentice.     "  How  came   the   fire, 
Stephen?" 

"  It  was  three  or  four  trusses  of  hay,  sir, 
and  a  few  crowns  to  repair  his  scorched 
paint.  Shall  we  go  to  the  gate  ?" 

"  Yes,  we  must  try  the  gate,"  said  Prince 
Henry,  gathering  the  hand  of  the  Countess 
into  his  ;  and  the  third  apprentice  walked 
silently  by  Stephen's  side.  Yet  once  as  she 
went,  she  said  softly  : 

"  So  it  was  no  trick,  Stephen  ?" 

"  No  trick,  but  the  truth,  madame,"  said 
Stephen. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  said  Osra,  "  how  I  am 
to  return  to  the  palace  in  these  clothes." 
>     "  Let    us    get    your    brother    and     the 
Countess  away  first,"  counselled  the  smith. 

Now  when  they  came  to  the  nearest  gate 
it  was  shut ;  but  at  the  moment  a  troop  of 
mounted  men  rode  up,  having  been  sent  by 
the  King  to  scour  the  country  round,  in  case 
the  fugitives  should  have  escaped  already 
from  the  city.  And  the  Commandant  of 
the  company  bore  an  order  from  the  King's 
Marshal  for  the  opening  of  the  gate.  See- 
ing this,  Stephen  the  smith  went  up  to  him 
and  began  to  talk  to  him,  the  three  appren- 
tices standing  close  by,  The  Commandant 
knew  Stephen  well,  and  was  pleased  to  talk 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        35 

with  him  while  the  gates  were  opened  and 
the  troopers  filed  through.  Stephen  kept 
close  by  him  till  the  troopers  were  all 
through.  Then  he  turned  and  spoke  to 
the  apprentices,  and  they  nodded  assent. 
The  Commandant  checked  his  horse  for  an 
instant  when  he  was  half-way  through  the 

fate,  and  bent  down  and  took  Stephen's 
and  to  shake  it  in  farewell.  Stephen  took 
his  hand  with  marvellous  friendliness,  and 
held  it,  and  would  not  let  him  go.  But  the 
apprentices  edged  cautiously  nearer  and 
nearer  the  gate. 

"  Enough,  man,  enough  !  "  laughed  the 
Commandant.  "  We  are  not  parting  for 
ever." 

"  I  trust  not,  sir,  I  trust  not,"  said  Stephen 
earnestly,  still  holding  his  hand. 

"  Come,  let  me  go.  See,  the  gate-warden 
wants  to  shut  the  gate  ! " 

"  True  ! "  said  Stephen.  "  Good-bye  then, 
sir.  Hallo,  hallo !  stop,  stop !  Oh,  the 
young  rascals  ! " 

For  even  as  Stephen  spoke,  two  of  the 
apprentices  had  darted  through  the  half- 
closed  gate,  and  run  swiftly  forward  into 
the  gloom  of  the  night.  Stephen  swore  an 
oath. 

"  The  rogues  !  "  he  cried.     "  They  were 


36  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

to  have  worked  all  night  to  finish  an  image 
of  Our  Lady  !  And  now  I  shall  see  no 
more  of  them  till  to-morrow  !  They  shall 
pay  for  their  prank  then,  by  heaven  they 
shall  !"  But  the  Commandant  laughed. 

,  "  I  am  sorry  I  can't  catch  them  for  you, 
friend  Stephen,"  said  he,  "but  I  have  other 
fish  to  fry.  Well,  boys  will  be  boys.  Don't 
be  too  hard  on  them  when  they  return." 

"  They  must  answer  for  what  they  do," 
said  Stephen  ;  and  the  Commandant  rode 
on  and  the  gates  were  shut. 

Then  the  Princess  Osra  said  : 

"  Will  they  escape,  Stephen  ?" 

"  They  have  money  in  their  purses,  love 
in  their  hearts,  and  an  angry  King  behind 
them.  I  should  travel  quickly,  madame,  if 
I  were  so  placed." 

The  Princess  looked  through  the  grating 
of  the  gate. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "they  have  all  those. 
How  happy  they  must  be,  Stephen  !  But 
what  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

Stephen  made  no  answer  and  they  walked 
back  in  silence  to  his  house.  It  may  be 
that  they  were  wondering  whether  Prince 
Henry  and  the  Countess  would  escape. 
Yet  it  may  be  that  they  thought  of  some- 
thing else.  When  they  reached  the  house, 


STEPHEN    STOOD   ON   THE    THRESHOLD    WITH    HIS    STAFF    IN    HIS    HAND." — Page  .tf. 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*         37 

Stephen  bade  the  Princess  go  into  the  inner 
room  and  resume  her  own  dress  that  she 
might  return  to  the  palace,  and  that  it 
might  not  be  known  where  she  had  been 
nor  how  she  had  aided  her  brother  to  evade 
the  King's  prohibition  ;  and  when  she,  still 
strangely  silent,  went  in  as  he  bade  her,  he 
took  his  great  staff  in  his  hand,  and  stood 
on  the  threshold  of  the  house,  his  head 
nearly  touching  the  lintel  and  his  shoulders 
filling  almost  all  the  space  between  door- 
post and  door-post. 

When  he  had  stood  there  a  little  while, 
the  same  Sergeant  of  the  Guard,  recollect- 
ing (now  that  the  fire  at  the  fruit-seller's 
was  out)  that  he  had  never  searched  the 
house  of  the  smith,  came  again  with  his 
four  men,  and  told  Stephen  to  stand  aside 
and  allow  him  to  enter  the  house. 

"  For  I  must  search  it,"  he  said,  "  or  my 
orders  will  not  be  performed." 

"  Those  whom  you  seek  are  not  here," 
said  Stephen. 

"  That  I  must  see  for  myself,"  answered 
the  Sergeant.  ''  Come,  smith,  stand  aside." 

When  the  Princess  heard  the  voices  out- 
side, she  put  her  head  round  the  door  of 
the  inner  room,  and  cried  in  great  alarm  to 
Stephen  : 


38  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

"  They  must  not  come  in,  Stephen.  At 
any  cost  they  must  not  come  in  ! " 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,  madame,  they  shall 
not  come  in,"  said  he. 

"  I  heard  a  voice  in  the  house,"  exclaimed 
the  Sergeant. 

"  It  is  nothing  uncommon  to  hear  in  a 
house,"  said  Stephen,  and  he  grasped  more 
firmly  his  great  staff. 

"  Will  you  make  way  for  us?"  demanded 
the  Sergeant.  "  For  the  last  time,  will  you 
make  way  ?  " 

Stephen's  eyes  kindled  ;  for  though  he 
was  a  man  of  peace,  yet  his  strength  was 
great  and  he  loved  sometimes  to  use  it ; 
and  above  all,  he  loved  to  use  it  now  at 
the  bidding  and  i  -  protection  of  his  dear 
Princess.  So  he  answered  the  Sergeant 
from  between  set  teeth  : 

"  Over  my  dead  body  you  can  come  in." 

Then  the  Sergeant  drew  his  sword  and 
his  men  set  their  halberds  in  rest,  and  the 
Sergeant,  crying,  "  In  the  King's  name!" 
came  at  Stephen  with  drawn  sword  and 
struck  fiercely  at  him.  But  Stephen  let 
the  great  staff  drop  on  the  Sergeant's 
shoulder,  and  the  Sergeant's  arm  fell  pow- 
erless by  his  side.  Thereupon  the  Guards 
cried  aloud,  and  people  began  to  come  out 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        39 

of  their  houses,  seeing  that  there  was  a  fight 
at  Stephen's  door.  And  Stephen's  eyes 
gleamed,  and  when  the  Guards  thrust  at 
him,  he  struck  at  them,  and  two  of  them 
he  stretched  senseless  on  the  ground  ;  for 
his  height  and  reach  were  such  that  he 
struck  them  before  they  could  come  near 
enough  to  touch  him,  and  having  no  fire- 
arms they  could  not  bring  him  down. 

The  Princess,  now  fully  dressed  in  her 
own  garments,  came  out  into  the  outer  room, 
and  stood  there  looking  at  Stephen.  Her 
bosom  rose  and  fell,  and  her  eyes  grew  dim 
as  she  looked  ;  and  growing  very  eager,  and 
being  very  much  moved,  she  kept  murmur- 
ing to  -herself,  "  I  have  not  said  no  thrice  !  " 
And  she  spent  no  thought  on  the  Countess 
or  her  brother,  nor  on  how  she  was  to  return 
undetected  to  the  palace,  but  saw  only  the 
figure  of  Stephen  on  the  threshold,  and 
heard  only  the  cries  of  the  Guards  who 
assaulted  him.  It  seemed  to  her  a  brave 
thing  to  have  such  a  man  to  fight  for  her, 
and  to  offer  his  life  to  save  her  shame. 

Old  King  Henry  was  not  a  patient  man, 
and  when  he  had  waited  two  hours  without 
news  of  son,  daughter,  or  Countess,  he  flew 
into  a  mighty  passion  and  sent  one  for  his 
horse,  and  another  for  Rudolf's  horse,  and 


4°  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

a  third  for  Rudolf  himself  ;  and  he  drank  a 
draught  of  wine,  and  called  to  Rudolf  to 
accompany  him,  that  they  might  see  for 
themselves  what  the  lazy  hounds  of  Guards 
were  doing,  that  they  had  not  yet  come  up 
with  the  quarry.  Prince  Rudolf  laughed 
and  yawned  and  wished  his  brother  at  the 
devil,  but  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  with 
the  King.  Thus  they  traversed  the  city, 
riding  swiftly,  the  old  King  furiously  up- 
braiding every  officer  and  soldier  whom  he 
met ;  then  they  rode  to  the  gate  ;  and  all 
the  gate-wardens  said  that  nobody  had 
gone  out,  save  that  one  gate-warden  ad- 
mitted that  two  apprentices  of  Stephen  the 
silversmith  had  contrived  to  slip  out  when 
the  gates  were  open  to  let  the  troopers 
pass.  But  the  King  made  nothing  of  it, 
and,  turning  with  his  son,  rode  up  the  street 
where  Stephen  lived.  Here  they  came 
suddenly  into  the  midst  of  a  crowd,  that 
filled  all  the  roadway,  and  would  hardly  let 
the  horses  move  even  at  a  foot's  pace. 
The  King  cried  out  angrily,  "  What  is  this 
tumult  ?  " 

Then  the  people  Icnew  him,  and,  since 
common  folk  are  always  anxious  to  serve 
and  commend  themselves  to  the  great,  a 
score  began  all  at  once  to  tell  him  what 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith.        41 

had  happened,  some  starting  with  the  fire, 
some  going  straight  to  the  fight ;  and  the 
King  could  not  make  head  or  tail  of  the 
babel  of  voices  and  different  stories.  And 
Prince  Rudolf  dropped  his  reins  and  sat 
on  his  horse  laughing.  But  the  King,  his 
patience  being  clean  gone,  drew  his  sword 
and  cried  fiercely,  "  Make  way  !  "  and  set 
his  spurs  to  his  horse,  not  recking  whether 
he  hurt  any  man  in  life  or  limb.  Thus  he 
gained  a  passage  through  the  crowd,  and 
came  near  to  Stephen's  house,  Prince  Ru- 
dolf following  in  his  wake,  still  greatly 
amused  at  all  that  was  happening. 

But  the  sight  they  saw  there  arrested 
even  Prince  Rudolfs  smiles,  and  he  raised 
himself  in  his  stirrups  with  a  sudden  cry 
of  wonder.  For  four  more  of  the  Guard 
had  come,  and  there  were  now  six  standing 
round  the  doorway,  and  three  lay  stretched 
on  the  ground ;  but  Stephen  the  smith 
still  stood  on  the  threshold,  with  his  staff  in 
his  hand.  Blood  flowed  from  a  wound  in 
his  head,  but  he  twirled  the  staff  to  and 
fro,  and  was  not  weary,  and  none  of  the 
Guard  dared  to  rush  in  and  close  with  him. 
Thus  he  had  held  the  threshold  for  an 
hour ;  yet  the  Princess  Osra  could  not 
escape  unless  he  could  drive  off  the  Guard 


42  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

for  a  few  moments,  and  this  he  hoped  to 
do,  thinking  that  they  might  draw  off  and 
wait  for  reinforcements  ;  but  in  any  case  he 
had  sworn  that  they  should  not  pass.  And 
Osra  did  not  pray  him  to  let  them  pass,  but 
stood  motionless  in  the  middle  of  the  room 
behind  him,  her  hands  clasped,  her  face 
rigid,  and  her  eyes  all  aflame  with  admira- 
tion of  his  strength  and  his  courage. 

Thus  matters  were  when  the  old  King 
and  Prince  Rudolf  broke  through  the  crowd 
that  ringed  the  house  round,  and  the  King 
cried  out,  asking  what  was  the  meaning  of 
all  that  he  saw. 

But  when  the  King  heard  that  Stephen 
the  smith  resisted  the  officers,  would  not 
suffer  his  house  to  be  searched,  had  stretched 
three  of  the  Guards  senseless  on  the  ground, 
and  still  more  than  held  his  own,  he  fell 
into  a  great  rage  ;  he  roared  out  on  them 
all,  calling  them  cowards,  and,  before  his 
son  or  any  one  else  could  stop  him,  he 
drew  his  sword,  and  dug  his  spurs  into  his 
horse ;  the  horse  bounded  forward  and 
knocked  clown  one  of  the  Guards  who  stood 
round  Stephen.  Then  the  King,  neither 
challenging  Stephen  to  yield,  nor  giving 
him  time  to  stand  aside,  being  carried  away 
by  passion,  raised  his  sword  and  rode  full 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*        43 

at  him.  And  the  Princess  from  within 
caught  sight  of  his  face,  and  she  fell  on  her 
knees  with  a  moan  and  hid  her  face.  Then 
Stephen  saw  that  it  was  the  King  and  none 
other  who  rode  against  him  ;  and  even  had 
the  King  given  him  time,  it  may  be  that 
he  would  not  have  yielded,  for  he  was  a 
very  resolute  man,  and  he  had  pledged  his 
promise  to  Osra  the  Princess.  But  he  had 
no  time  for  thought,  for  the  King  was  on 
him  in  the  space  of  a  second,  and  he  could 
do  nothing  but  drop  the  staff  that  he  held, 
and  stand  defenceless  in  the  doorway  ;  for 
he  would  neither  strike  the  King  nor  yield 
the  passage.  But  the  King,  in  his  fury  not 
heeding  that  Stephen  had  dropped  his  staff, 
drew  back  his  arm  and  lunged  with  his 
sword,  and  thrust  the  smith  through  the 
chest ;  and  Stephen  reeled  and  fell  on  one 
knee,  and  his  blood  flowed  out  on  the 
stone  of  the  doorstep.  Then  the  King 
reined  in  his  horse,  and  sat  looking  down 
on  Stephen  ;  but  Rudolf  leapt  to  the 
ground,  and  came  and  caught  hold  of  Ste- 
phen, supporting  him,  and  asking,  "  What 
does  it  mean,  man,  what  does  it  mean  ?  " 

Then  Stephen,  being  very  faint  with  his 
wound,  said  with  difficulty  :  "  Come  in  alone 
— you  and  the  King  alone." 


44  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

Prince  Rudolf  looked  at  the  King,  who 
sheathed  his  sword  and  dismounted  from 
his  horse ;  the  Prince  supported  Stephen 
inside  the  house,  and  the  King  followed 
them,  shutting  the  door  on  all  the  people 
outside. 

Then  King  Henry  saw  his  daughter, 
crouching  now  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
her  face  hidden  in  her  hands.  Surprise  and 
wonder  banished  his  rage  and  he  could  not 
do  more  than  gasp  her  name,  while  the 
Prince,  who  knelt  supporting  Stephen,  cried 
to  her,  asking  how  she  came  there  ;  but  she 
answered  nothing.  She  took  her  hands 
from  her  face  and  looked  at  Stephen  ;  and 
when  she  saw  that  he  was  hurt  and  bleeding, 
she  fell  to  sobbing  and  hid  her  face  again. 
And  she  did  not  know  whether  she  would 
have  him  live  or  die ;  for  if  he  lived  he  could 
not  be  hers,  and  if  he  died  her  heart  would 
ache  sorely  for  him.  Then  Stephen,  being 
supported  by  the  arms  of  Prince  Rudolf, 
made  shift  to  speak,  and  he  told  the  King 
how,  at  his  persuasion,  the  Princess  had 
brought  the  Countess  thither  ;  how  he  him- 
self had  contrived  the  presence  of  the  Prince 
at  the  same  time,  how  again  the  Princess 
had  been  prevailed  upon  to  aid  the  lovers  ; 
how  they  assumed  the'  disguise  of  appren- 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*       45 

tices  ;  and  how,  hearing  the  arrival  of  the 
Guard,  they  had  escaped  out  into  the  street ; 
aud  lastly,  how  that  the  Prince  and  the 
Countess  had  got  out  of  the  city.  But  he 
said  nothing  of  the  fire  at  the  fruit-seller's, 
nor  of  how  he  himself  had  bribed  the  fruit- 
seller  to  set  the  hay  on  fire,  speaking  to  him 
from  the  back  windows  of  the  house,  and 
flinging  a  purse  of  gold  pieces  across  to 
him  ;  nor  did  this  ever  become  known  to  the 
King.  And  when  Stephen  had  said  his  say, 
he  fell  back  very  faint  in  the  arms  of  the 
Prince  ;  and  the  Prince  tore  a  scarf  from 
his  waist,  and  tried  to  staunch  the  blood 
from  Stephen's  wound.  But  the  old  King, 
who  was  a  hard  man,  smiled  grimly. 

"  Indeed  he  has  tricked  us  finely,  this 
smith,  and  he  is  a  clever  fellow,"  said  he  ; 
"  but  unless  he  would  rather  hang  than  bleed 
to  death,  let  his  wound  be,  Rudolf.  For  by 
heaven,  if  you  cure  him,  I  will  hang  him." 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,  sire,"  said  Stephen  ; 
"  the  Prince  cannot  cure  me.  You  still 
strike  straight,  though  you  are  hard  on 
seventy." 

"  Straight  enough  for  a  rascal  like  you," 
said  the  King  well  pleased  ;  and  he  added, 
"  Hold  the  fellow  easily,  Rudolf,  I  would 
not  have  him  suffer."  And  this  was,  they 


46  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

say,  the  only  time  in  all  his  life  that  Henry 
the  Lion  shewed  a  sign  of  pity  to  any 
man. 

But  Stephen  was  now  very  faint,  and  he 
cast  his  eyes  towards  the  Princess  ;  and 
Rudolf  followed  his  eyes.  Now  Rudolf  had 
an  affection  for  Stephen,  and  he  loved  his 
sister,  and  was  a  man  of  soft  heart ;  so  he 
cried  gently  to  Osra,  "  Come,  sister,  and 
help  me  with  him."  And  she  rose,  and 
came  and  sat  down  by  the  wall,  and  gathered 
Stephen's  head  into  her  lap  ;  and  there  he 
lay,  looking  up  at  her,  with  a  smile  on  his 
lips.  But  still  he  bled,  and  his  blood  stained 
the  white  cloak  that  she  wore  over  her  robe  ; 
and  her  tears  dropped  on  his  face.  But 
Rudolf  took  his  father  by  the  arm,  and  led 
him  a  little  way  off,  saying  : 

"  What  matter,  sire  ?  The  girl  is  young, 
and  the  man  is  dying.  Let  them  be." 

The  old  King,  grumbling,  let  himself  be 
led  away  ;  and  perhaps  even  he  was  moved, 
for  he  forgot  Prince  Henry  and  the  Coun- 
tess, and  did  not  think  of  sending  men  in 
pursuit  of  them,  for  which  reason  they  ob- 
tained a  fair  and  long  start  in  their  flight. 

Then  Stephen,  looking  up  at  Osra,  said  : 

"  Do  not  weep,  madame.  They  will  es- 
cape now,  and  they  will  be  happy." 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*       47 

"  I  was  not  weeping  for  them,"  said  the 
Princess. 

Stephen  was  silent  for  a  little,  and  then 
he  said  : 

"  In  very  truth  it  was  no  trick,  madame  ; 
it  was  even  as  I  said,  from  the  first  day  that 
you  rode  along  the  street  here  ;  it  was  al- 
ways the  same  in  my  heart,  and  would 
always  have  been,  however  long  I  had. 
lived." 

"  I  do  not  doubt  it,  Stephen  ;  and  it  is 
not  for  doubt  of  it  that  I  weep,"  said  she. 

Then,  after  a  little  while,  he  said  : 

"  Do  you  weep,  madame,  because  I  am 
dying?" 

"Yes,  I  weep  for  that." 

"Would  you  have  me  live,  madame  ?" 
he  asked. 

"  No,  I  would  not — no — but  I  do  not 
know,"  she  said. 

Then  Stephen  the  smith  smiled,  and  his 
smile  was  happy. 

"  Yet,"  said  he,  "  it  would  make  small 
difference  to  the  Princess  Osra  whether  Ste- 
phen the  smith  lived  or  died." 

At  this,  although  he  lay  there  a  dying 
man,  a  sudden  flush  of  red  spread  all  over 
her  cheeks,  and  she  turned  her  eyes  away 
from  his,  and  would  not  meet  his  glance  ; 


48  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

she  made  him  no  answer,  and  he  said 
again  : 

"What  can  it  concern  the  Princess 
whether  I  live  or  die  ?  " 

Still  the  blush  burnt  on  her  cheek,  and 
still  she  had  no  answer  to  give  to  Stephen, 
as  he  lay  dying  with  his  head  on  her  lap. 
And  a  bright  gleam  came  into  his  eyes,  and 
he  tried  to  move  a  hand  towards  her  hand  ; 
and  she,  seeing  the  effort,  put  out  her  hand 
and  held  his  ;  and  he  whispered  very  low, 
for  he  could  hardly  speak  : 

"  You  have  not  yet  refused  me  three  times, 
madame." 

At  that  her  eyes  came  back  to  his,  and 
their  eyes  dwelt  long  on  one  another.  And 
for  a  moment  it  seemed  to  them  that  all 
things  became  possible,  life  and  joy  and 
love.  Yet  since  all  could  not  be,  they  were 
content  that  none  should  be. 

Then  the  Princess  bent  low  over  his  head, 
and  she  whispered  to  him  : 

"  No,  I  have  not  refused  you  thrice,  Ste- 
phen." 

His  lips  just  moved  once  again,  and,  being 
very  near  him,  she  heard  : 

"  And  you  will  not  ?"  he  said. 

"  No,"  said  she,  and  she  kissed  his  lips, 
and  he  smiled  and  turned  on  his  side  ;  and 


The  Happiness  of  Stephen  the  Smith*       49 

he  nestled  his  head,  as  it  were  cosily,  on 
her  lap,  and  he  said  no  more. 

Thus  died  Stephen  the  silversmith  of 
Strelsan,  happy  in  his  death  because  Osra 
the  Princess  had  not  refused  him  thrice. 
And  she  laid  him  gently  on  the  ground,  and 
rose,  and  went  across  to  where  the  King  sat 
with  Rudolf. 

"  Sire,  he  is  dead,"  said  she. 

"  It  is  well,"  said  the  King.  And  he  bade 
Rudolf  go  and  cause  all  the  people  to  leave 
the  streets,  and  return  to  their  houses  ;  and 
when  all  the  streets  were  cleared,  the  Prin- 
cess veiled  herself,  and  her  brother  mounted 
her  on  his  horse,  and  thus  she  rode  back  to 
the  palace ;  and  none  knew  that  she  had 
been  in  the  house  of  Stephen  the  silver- 
smith. 

And  after  many  months  Prince  Henry, 
who  had  made  good  his  escape  and  married 
the  lady  whom  he  loved,  was  reconciled  to 
his  father  and  returned  to  the  city  of  Strel- 
sau.  And  when  he  heard  how  Stephen  had 
died,  he  raised  a  stately  monument  over  him, 
and  had  carved  on  it  his  name,  and  the  day 
and  year  in  which  he  had  died  ;  and  under- 
neath he  caused  to  be  engraved  the  words, 
"  From  a  Friend  to  a  Friend."  But  when 
this  monument  had  stood  three  days  in  its 


$o  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

place,  there  came  thither  a  lady  closely 
veiled  ;  she  prayed  on  her  knees  by  the  mon- 
ument for  a  long  while,  and  then  rose  and 
stood  regarding  it ;  and  her  eyes  rested  on 
the  last  words  that  Prince  Henry  had 
written  on  the  stone.  Then  she  came  nearer, 
and  kissed  the  words,  and,  when  she  had 
kissed  them,  she  whispered  softly,  "  From  a 
Lover  to  a  Lover  "  ;  and,  having  whispered 
this,  she  turned  away  and  went  back  to  the 
palace,  and  came  no  more  to  the  tomb,  for 
fear  that  the  people  should  remark  her  com- 
ing. Yet  often  in  the  days  that  followed 
she  would  open  the  window  of  her  bed- 
chamber by  night,  and  she  would  whisper 
to  the  silent  trusty  darkness,  that  holds 
secrets  and  comforts  sore  hearts  : 
"  Not  thrice,  Stephen,  not  thrice  !  " 
Therefore  it  may  be  that  there  had  been 
a  sweet  madness  in  her  heart,  and  that 
Stephen  the  silversmith  had  done  a  great 
thing,  a  thing  that  would  appear  impossible, 
before  he  died.  And,  as  Prince  Rudolf  said, 
what  matter  ?  For  the  girl  was  young,  and 
the  dream  was  sweet,  and  the  man  was  dead, 
and  in  death  at  last  are  all  men  equal. 


CHAPTER  II. 
The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles* 

IN  the  year  1734,  as  spring  began,  there 
arrived  at  Strelsau  a  French  nobleman  of 
high  rank  and  great  possessions,  endowed 
also  with  many  accomplishments.  He  came 
to  visit  Prince  Rudolf,  whose  acquaintance 
he  had  made  while  the  Prince  was  at  Paris 
in  the  course  of  his  travels.  King  Henry 
received  M.  de  Merosailles — for  such  was 
his  name — most  graciously,  and  sent  a  guard 
of  honour  to  conduct  him  to  the  Castle  of 
Zenda,  where  the  Prince  was  then  staying 
in  company  with  his  sister  Osra.  There 
the  Marquis,  on  his  arrival,  was  greeted 
with  much  joy  by  Prince  Rudolf,  who  found 
his  sojourn  in  the  country  somewhat  irk- 
some and  was  glad  of  the  society  of  a 
friend  with  whom  he  could  talk,  and  sport, 
and  play  at  cards.  All  these  things  he  did 
with  M.  de  Merosailles,  and  a  great  friend- 
ship arose  between  the  young  men,  so  that 
they  spoke  very  freely  to  one  another  at  all 


5 2  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

times,  and  most  of  all  when  they  had  drunk 
their  wine  and  sat  together  in  the  evening 
in  Prince  Rudolfs  chamber  that  looked 
across  the  moat  towards  the  gardens ;  for 
the  new  chdteau  that  now  stands  on  the  site 
of  these  gardens  was  not  then  built.  And 
one  night  M.  de  Merosailles  made  bold  to 
ask  the  Prince  how  it  fell  out  that  his  sister 
the  Princess,  a  lady  of  such  great  beauty, 
seemed  sad,  and  shewed  no  pleasure  in  the 
society  of  any  gentleman,  but  treated  all 
alike  with  coldness  and  disdain.  Prince 
Rudolf,  laughing,  answered  that  girls  were 
strange  creatures,  and  that  he  had  ceased 
to  trouble  his  head  about  them  (of  his  heart 
he  said  nothing)  and  he  finished  by  exclaim- 
ing :  "On  my  honour,  I  doubt  if  she  so 
much  as  knows  you  are  here,  for  she  has 
not  looked  at  you  once  since  your  arrival !  " 
And  he  smiled  maliciously,  for  he  knew  that 
the  Marquis  was  not  accustomed  to  be  neg- 
lected by  ladies,  and  would  take  it  ill  that 
even  a  Princess  should  be  unconscious  of 
his  presence.  In  this  he  calculated  rightly, 
for  M.  de  Merosailles  was  greatly  vexed, 
and,  twisting  his  glass  in  his  fingers,  he  said  : 
"  If  she  were  not  a  Princess,  and  your 
sister,  sir,  I  would  engage  to  make  her  look 
at  me." 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles*    53 

"  I  am  not  hurt  by  her  looking  at  you," 
rejoined  the  Prince  :  for  that  evening  he 
was  very  merry.  "  A  look  is  no  great 
thing." 

The  Marquis,  being  no  less  merry,  and 
knowing  that  Rudolf  had  not  the  regard  for 
his  dignity  that  a  Prince  should  have,  threw 
out  carelessly  : 

"  A  kiss  is  more,  sir." 

"It  is  a  great  deal  more,"  laughed  the 
Prince,  tugging  his  moustache. 

"  Are  you  ready  for  a  wager,  sir  ?  "  asked 
M.  de  Merosailles,  leaning  across  the  table 
towards  him. 

"  I'll  lay  you  a  thousand  crowns  to  a 
hundred  that  you  do  not  gain  a  kiss,  using 
what  means  you  will,  save  force." 

"  I'll  take  that  wager,  sir,"  cried  the  Mar- 
quis. "  But  it  shall  be  three,  not  one." 

"  Have  a  care,"  said  the  Prince.  "  Don't 
go  too  near  the  flame,  my  lord  !  There  are 
some  wings  in  Strelsau  singed  at  that  can- 
die." 

"  Indeed  the  light  is  very  bright,"  as- 
sented the  Marquis  courteously.  "  That 
risk  I  must  run,  though,  if  I  am  to  win  my 
wager.  It  is  to  be  three  then,  and  by  what 
means  I  will,  save  force?" 

"  Even  so,"  said  Rudolf,  and  he  laughed 


54  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

again.  For  he  thought  the  wager  harmless, 
since  by  no  device  could  M.  de  Merosailles 
win  so  much  as  one  kiss  from  the  Princess 
Osra,  and  the  wager  stood  at  three.  But  he 
did  not  think  how  he  wronged  his  sister  by 
using  her  name  lightly,  being  in  all  such 
matters  a  man  of  careless  mind. 

But  the  Marquis,  having  made  his  wager, 
set  himself  steadily  to  win  it.  Therefore  he 
brought  forth  the  choicest  clothes  from  his 
wardrobe,  and  ornaments,  and  perfumes  ; 
and  he  laid  fine  presents  at  the  Princess's 
feet ;  and  he  waylaid  her  wherever  she  went, 
and  was  profuse  of  glances,  sighs,  and  hints  ; 
and  he  wrote  sonnets,  as  fine  gentlemen  used 
in  those  days,  and  lyrics  and  pastorals, 
wherein  she  figured  under  charming  names. 
These  he  bribed  the  Princess's  waiting- 
women  to  leave  in  their  mistress's  chamber. 
Moreover  he  looked  now  sorrowful,  now 
passionate,  and  he  ate  nothing  at  dinner, 
but  drank  his  wine  in  wild  gulps,  as  though 
he  sought  to  banish  sadness.  So  that,  in  a 
word,  there  was  no  device  in  Cupid's 
armoury  that  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles 
did  not  practise  in  the  endeavour  to  win  a 
look  from  the  Princess  Osra.  But  no  look 
came,  and  he  got  nothing  from  her  but  cold 
civility.  Yet  she  had  looked  at  him  when 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles*    55 

he  looked  not — for  Princesses  are  much  like 
other  maidens — and  thought  him  a  very 
pretty  gentleman,  and  was  highly  amused 
by  his  extravagance.  Yet  she  did  not  be- 
lieve it  to  witness  any  true  devotion  to  her, 
but  thought  it  mere  gallantry. 

Then,  one  day,  M.  de  Merosailles,  having 
tried  all  else  that  he  could  think  of,  took  to 
his  bed.  He  sent  for  a  physician,  and  paid 
him  a  high  fee  to  find  the  seeds  of  a  rapid  and 
fatal  disease  in  him  :  and  he  made  his  body- 
servant  whiten  his  face  and  darken  his  room  ; 
and  he  groaned  very  pitifully,  saying  that  he 
was  sick,  and  that  he  was  glad  of  it  ;  for 
death  would  be  better  far  than  the  con- 
tinued disdain  of  the  Princess  Osra.  And 
all  this,  being  told  by  the  Marquis's  servants 
to  the  Princess's  waiting-women,  reached 
Osra's  ears,  and  caused  her  much  perturba- 
tion. For  she  now  perceived  that  the  pas- 
sion of  the  Marquis  was  real  and  deep,  and 
she  became  very  sorry  for  him  :  the  longer 
the  face  [of  the  rascally  physician  grew  the 
more  sad  the  Princess  became  :  she  walked 
up  and  down,  bewailing  the  terrible  effects 
of  her  beauty,  wishing  that  she  were  not  so 
fair,  and  mourning  very  tenderly  for  the 
sad  plight  of  the  unhappy  Marquis. 

Through  all  Prince  Rudolf  looked  on,  but 


56  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

was  bound  by  his  wager  not  to  undeceive 
her ;  moreover  he  found  much  entertainment 
in  the  matter,  and  swore  that  it  was  worth 
three  times  a  thousand  crowns. 

At  last  the  Marquis  sent  by  the  mouth 
of  his  physician  a  very  humble  and  pitiful 
message  to  the  Princess,  in  which  he  spoke 
of  himself  as  near  to  death,  hinted  at  the 
cruel  cause  of  his  condition,  and  prayed  her 
of  compassion  to  visit  him  in  his  chamber, 
and  speak  a  word  of  comfort,  or  at  least  let 
him  look  on  her  face  :  for  the  brightness  of 
her  eyes,  he  said,  might  cure  even  what  it 
had  caused. 

Deceived  by  this  appeal,  Princess  Osra 
agreed  to  go  ;  moved  by  some  strange  im- 
pulse, she  put  on  her  choicest  array,  dressed 
her  hair  most  splendidly,  and  came  into  the 
chamber  looking  like  a  goddess.  There  lay 
the  Marquis,  white  as  a  ghost  and  languid 
on  his  pillows  ;  and  they  were  left,  as  they 
thought,  alone.  Then  Osra  sat  down  and 
began  to  talk  very  gently  and  kindly  to  him, 
glancing  only  at  the  madness  which  brought 
him  to  his  sad  state,  and  imploring  him  to 
summon  his  resolution,  and  conquer  his 
sickness  for  his  friends'  sake  at  home  in 
France,  and  for  the  sake  of  her  brother, 
who  loved  him. 


THE   PHYSICIAN  RECEIVES    PRINCESS  OSRA.— Page  56. 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Me>osailles.    57 

"  There  is  nobody  who  loves  me,"  said  the 
Marquis  petulantly  ;  and  when  Osra  cried 
out  at  this,  he  went  on,  "  For  the  love  of 
those  whom  I  do  not  love  is  nothing  to  me, 
and  the  only  soul  alive  I  love—  There 

he  stopped,  but  his  eyes,  fixed  on  Osra's 
face,  ended  the  sentence  for  him.  And  she 
blushed,  and  looked  away.  Then  thinking 
the  moment  was  come,  he  burst  suddenly 
into  a  flood  of  protestations  and  self-re- 
proach, cursing  himself  for  a  fool  and  a 
presumptuous  madman,  pitifully  craving  her 
pardon,  and  declaring  that  he  did  not  de- 
serve her  kindness,  and  yet  that  he  could 
not  live  without  it,  and  that  anyhow  he 
would  be  dead  soon,  and  thus  cease  to  trouble 
her.  But  she,  being  thus  passionately 
assailed,  showed  such  sweet  tenderness  and 
compunction  and  pity,  that  M.  de  M^ro- 
sailles  came  very  near  to  forgetting  that  he 
was  playing  a  comedy,  and  threw  himself 
into  his  part  with  eagerness,  redoubling  his 
vehemence,  and  feeling  now  full  half  of 
what  he  said.  For  the  Princess  was  to  his 
eyes  far  more  beautiful  in  her  softer  mood. 
Yet  he  remembered  his  wager,  and,  at  last, 
when  she  was  nearly  in  tears  and  ready,  as 
it  seemed,  to  do  anything  to  give  him  com- 
fort, he  cried  desperately  : 


58  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  Ah,  leave,  leave  me  !  Leave  me  to  die 
alone  !  Yet,  for  pity's  sake,  before  you  go, 
and  before  I  die,  give  me  your  forgiveness, 
and  let  your  lips  touch  my  forehead  in  token 
of  it.  Then  I  shall  die  in  peace." 

At  that  the  Princess  blushed  still  more, 
and  her  eyes  were  wet,  and  shone,  for  she 
was  deeply  touched  at  his  misery  and  at  the 
sad  prospect  of  the  death  for  love  of  so  gal- 
lant a  gentleman.  Thus  she  could  scarcely 
speak  for  emotion  ;  and  the  Marquis  seeing 
her  emotion  was  himself  deeply  affected  ; 
and  she  rose  from  her  chair,  and  bent  over 
him,  and  whispered  comfort  to  him.  Then 
she  leant  down,  and  very  lightly  touched 
his  forehead  with  her  lips ;  he  felt  her 
eyelashes,  which  were  wet  with  tears,  brush 
the  skin  of  his  forehead ;  and  then  she 
sobbed  and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands. 
Indeed  his  state  seemed  to  her  most  pitiful. 

Thus  M.  de  Merosailles  had  won  one  of 
his  three  kisses  ;  yet,  strange  to  tell,  there 
was  no  triumph  in  him,  but  now  he  per- 
ceived the  baseness  of  his  device  ;  and  the 
sweet  kindness  of  the  Princess,  working 
together  with  the  great  beauty  of  her 
softened  manner,  so  affected  him  that  he 
thought  no  more  of  his  wager  and  could 
not  endure  to  carry  on  his  deception ;  noth- 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles.    59 

ing  would  serve  his  turn  but  to  confess  to 
the  Princess  what  he  had  done,  humbling 
himself  in  the  dust  before  her,  and  entreat- 
ing her  to  pardon  him  and  let  him  find  for- 
giveness. 

Impelled  by  these  feelings,  after  he  had 
lain  still  a  few  moments  listening  to  the 
Princess  weeping,  he  leapt  suddenly  out  of 
bed,  showing  himself  fully  dressed  under 
the  bed-gown  which  he  now  eagerly  tore 
off ;  and  he  rubbed  all  the  white  he  could 
from  his  cheeks,  and  then  he  fell  on  his 
knees  before  the  Princess,  crying  to  her  that 
he  had  played  the  meanest  trick  on  her,  and 
that  he  was  a  scoundrel,  and  no  gentleman, 
and  that  unless  she  forgave  him  he  should 
in  very  truth  die  ;  nay,  that  he  would  not 
consent  to  live  unless  he  could  win  from  her 
pardon  for  his  deceit.  And  in  all  this  he 
was  now  absolutely  in  earnest,  wondering 
only  how  he  had  not  been  as  passionately 
enamoured  of  her  from  the  first  as  he  had 
feigned  himself  to  be.  For  a  man  in  love 
can  never  conceive  himself  out  of  it,  nor  he 
that  is  out  of  it  in  it ;  for  if  he  can,  he  is  half 
way  to  the  one  or  the  other,  however 
little  he  may  know  it. 

At  first  the  Princess  sat  as  though  she 
were  turned  to  stone  :  but  when  he  finished 


62  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

vants  and  the  falconers  might  not  overhear. 
"  I  ride,  sir,  to  my  own  funeral." 

"  The  jest  is  still  afoot,  then  ?  "  asked  the 
Prince.  "  Yet  I  do  not  see  my  sister  at  the 
window  to  watch  you  go,  and  I  warrant 
you  have  made  no  way  with  your  wager 
yet." 

"  A  thousand  curses  on  my  wager  !  "  cried 
the  Marquis.  "  Yes,  I  have  made  way  with 
the  accursed  thing,  and  that  is  why  I  now 
go  to  my  death." 

"What,  has  she  kissed  you?"  cried  the 
Prince,  with  a  merry  astonished  laugh. 

"  Yes,  sir,  she  has  kissed  me  once,  and 
therefore  I  go  to  die." 

"  I  have  heard  of  many  a  better  reason, 
then,"  answered  the  Prince. 

By  now  the  Prince  had  dismounted,  and 
he  stood  by  M.  de  Merosailles  in  the  middle 
of  the  bridge,  and  heard  from  him  how  the 
trick  had  prospered.  At  this  he  was  much 
tickled,  and,  alas,  he  was  even  more  diverted 
when  the  penitence  of  the  Marquis  was 
revealed  to  him,  and  was  most  of  all  moved 
to  merriment  when  it  appeared  that  the 
Marquis,  having  gone  too  near  the  candle, 
had  been  caught  by  its  flame,  and  was  so 
terribly  singed  and  scorched  that  he  could 
not  bear  to  live.  And  while  they  talked  on 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  M&osailles.    63 

the  bridge  the  Princess  looked  out  on  them 
from  a  lofty  narrow  window,  but  neither  of 
them  saw  her.  But  when  the  Prince  had 
done  laughing,  he  put  his  arm  through  his 
friend's  and  bade  him  not  be  a  fool,  but 
come  in  and  toast  the  Princess's  kiss  in  a 
draught  of  wine.  "  For,"  he  said,  "  though 
you  will  never  get  the  other  two,  yet  it  is  a 
brave  exploit  to  have  got  one." 

But  the  Marquis  shook  his  head,  and  his 
air  was  so  resolute,  and  so  full  of  sorrow, 
that  not  only  was  Rudolf  alarmed  for  his 
reason,  but  Princess  Osra  also,  at  the  win- 
dow, wondered  what  ailed  him  and  why  he 
wore  such  a  long  face  ;  and  now  she  noticed 
that  he  was  dressed  all  in  black,  and  that  his 
horse  waited  for  him  across  the  bridge. 

"  Not,"  said  she,  "that  I  care  what  be- 
comes of  the  impudent  rogue  ! "  Yet  she 
did  not  leave  the  window,  but  watched  very 
intently  to  see  what  M.  de  Merosailles 
would  do. 

For  a  long  while  he  talked  with  Rudolf 
on  the  bridge,  Rudolf  seeming  more  serious 
than  he  was  wont  to  be  ;  and  at  last  the 
Marquis  bent  to  kiss  the  Prince's  hand,  and 
the  Prince  raised  him  and  kissed  him  on 
either  cheek  ;  then  the  Marquis  went  and 
mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  off,  slowly  and 


64  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra« 

unattended,  into  the  glades  of  the  forest  of 
Zenda  ;  but  the  Prince,  with  a  shrug  of  the 
shoulders  and  a  frown  on  his  brow,  entered 
under  the  portcullis,  and  disappeared  from 
his  sister's  view. 

Upon  this  the  Princess,  assuming  an  air 
of  great  carelessness,  walked  down  from  the 
room  where  she  was,  and  found  her  brother, 
sitting  still  in  his  boots  and  drinking  wine  ; 
and  she  said  : 

"  M.  de  Merosailles  has  taken  his  leave 
then?" 

"  Even  so,  madame,"  rejoined  Rudolf. 

Then  she  broke  into  a  fierce  attack  on 
the  Marquis,  and  on  her  brother  also  ;  for  a 
man,  said  she,  is  known  by  his  friends,  and 
what  a  man  Rudolf  must  be  to  have  a 
friend  like  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles  ! 

"  Most  brothers,"  she  said  in  fiery  tem- 
per, "  would  make  him  answer  for  what  he 
has  done  with  his  life.  But  you  laugh,  nay, 
I  daresay  you  had  a  hand  in  it." 

As  to  this  last  charge  the  Prince  had  the 
discretion  to  say  nothing  ;  he  chose  rather 
to  answer  the  first  part  of  what  she  said, 
and  shrugging  his  shoulders  again  rejoined  : 

"  The  fool  saves  me  the  trouble,  for  he 
has  gone  off  to  kill  himself." 

"  To  kill  himself  ? "  she  said,  half  incredu- 


The  Wage*  of  the  Marquis  de  Me>osailles«    65 

lous,  but  also  half  believing,  because  of  the 
Marquis's  gloomy  looks  and  black  clothes. 

"  To  kill  himself,"  repeated  Rudolf.  "  For 
in  the  first  place  you  are  angry,  so  he  cannot 
live  ;  in  the  second  he  has  behaved  like  a 
rogue,  so  he  cannot  live ;  and  in  the  third 
place  you  are  so  lovely,  sister,  that  he  can- 
not live  ;  and  in  the  first,  second,  and  third 
places  he  is  a  fool,  so  he  cannot  live."  And 
the  Prince  finished  his  flagon  of  wine  with 
every  sign  of  ill-humour  in  his  manner. 

"  He  is  well  dead,"  she  cried. 

"  Oh,  as  you  please,"  said  he.  "  He  is  not 
the  first  brave  man  who  has  died  on  your 
account."  And  he  rose  and  strode  out  of 
the  room  very  surlily  ;  for  he  had  a  great 
friendship  for  M.  de  Merosailles,  and  had 
no  patience  with  men  who  let  love  make 
dead  bones  of  them. 

The  Princess  Osra,  being  left  alone,  sat 
for  a  little  time  in  deep  thought.  There 
rose  before  her  mind  the  picture  of  M.  de 
Merosailles  riding  mournfully  through  the 
gloom  of  the  forest  to  his  death.  And 
although  his  conduct  had  been  all  and  more 
than  all  that  she  had  called  it,  yet  it  seemed 
hard  that  he  should  die  for  it.  Moreover, 
if  he  now  in  truth  felt  what  he  had  before 
feigned,  the  present  truth  was  an  atonement 


66  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

for  the  past  treachery  ;  and  she  said  to  her- 
self that  she  could  not  sleep  quietly  that 
night  if  the  Marquis  killed  himself  in  the 
forest.  Presently  she  wandered  slowly  up 
to  her  chamber,  and  looked  in  the  mirror, 
and  murmured  low,  "  Poor  fellow ! "  and 
then  with  sudden  speed  she  attired  herself 
for  riding,  and  commanded  her  horse  to  be 
saddled,  and  darted  down  the  stairs  and 
across  the  bridge,  and  mounted,  and,  for- 
bidding any  one  to  accompany  her,  rode 
away  into  the  forest,  following  the  marks 
of  the  hoofs  of  M.  de  Me'rosailles's  horse. 
It  was  then  late  afternoon,  and  the  slanting 
rays  of  the  sun,  striking  through  the  tree- 
trunks,  reddened  her  face  as  she  rode  along, 
spurring  her  horse,  and  following  hard  on 
the  track  of  the  forlorn  gentleman.  But 
what  she  intended  to  do  if  she  came  up  with 
him  she  did  not  think. 

When  she  had  ridden  an  hour  or  more, 
she  saw  his  horse  tethered  to  a  trunk ;  and 
there  was  a  ring  of  trees  and  bushes  near, 
encircling  an  open  grassy  spot.  Herself 
dismounting,  and  fastening  her  horse  by 
the  Marquis's  horse,  she  stole  up,  and  saw 
M.  de  Merosailles  sitting  on  the  ground, 
his  drawn  sword  lying  beside  him  ;  and  his 
back  was  towards  her.  She  held  her  breath 


'SHE  SAW  M.  de  MKROSAILLES  SITTING  ON  THE  GROUND." — Page  66. 
\ 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  M&osailles*    67 

and  waited  a  few  moments.  Then  he  took 
up  the  sword  and  felt  the  point  and  also  the 
edge  of  it,  and  sighed  deeply ;  and  the 
Princess  thought  that  this  sorrowful  mood 
became  him  better  than  any  she  had  seen 
him  in  before.  Then  he  rose  to  his  feet, 
and  took  his  sword  by  the  blade  beneath  the 
hilt,  and  turned  the  point  of  it  towards  his 
heart.  But  Osra,  fearing  that  the  deed 
would  be  done  immediately,  called  out 
eagerly,  "My  lord,  my  lord!"  and  M.  de 
Merosailles  turned  round  with  a  great  start. 
When  he  saw  her,  he  stood  in  astonishment, 
his  hand  still  holding  the  blade  of  the  sword. 
And,  standing  just  on  the  other  side  of  the 
trees,  she  said  : 

"  Is  your  offence  against  me  to  be  cured 
by  adding  an  offence  against  Heaven  and  the 
Church  ? " 

And  she  looked  on  him  with  great  severity, 
yet  her  cheek  was  flushed,  and  after  a  while 
she  did  not  meet  his  glance. 

11  How  came  you  here,  madame?"  he 
asked  in  wonder. 

"  I  heard,"  she  said,  "  that  you  meditated 
this  great  sin,  and  I  rode  after  you  to  forbid 
it." 

"Can  you  forbid  what  you  cause?"  he 
asked. 


68  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

"  I  am  not  the  cause  of  it,"  she  said,  "  but 
your  own  trickery." 

"  It  is  true.  I  am  not  worthy  to  live," 
cried  the  Marquis,  smiting  the  hilt  of  his 
sword  on  the  ground.  "  I  pray  you,  madame, 
leave  me  alone  to  die.  For  I  cannot  tear 
myself  from  the  world  so  long  as  I  see  your 
face."  And  as  he  spoke  he  knelt  on  one 
knee,  as  though  he  were  doing  homage  to  her. 

The  Princess  caught  at  the  bough  of  the 
tree  under  which  she  stood,  and  pulled  the 
bough  down,  so  that  its  leaves  half  hid  her 
face,  and  the  Marquis  saw  little  more  than 
her  eyes  from  among  the  foliage.  Thus 
being  better  able  to  speak  to  him,  she  said 
softly  : 

"  And  dare  you  die,  unforgiven  ?" 

"  I  had  prayed  for  forgiveness  before  you 
found  me,  madame,"  said  he. 

"  Of  heaven,  my  lord?" 

"  Of  heaven,  madame.  For  of  heaven  I 
dare  to  ask  it." 

The  bough  swayed  up  and  down  ;  now 
Osra's  gleaming  hair,  and  now  her  cheek, 
and  always  her  eyes  were  seen  through  the 
leaves.  And  presently  the  Marquis  heard  a 
voice  asking  : 

"Does  heaven  forgive  unasked  ?" 

"Indeed,  no,"  he  said,  wondering. 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  M&osailles,    69 

"And,"  she  said,  " are  we  poor  mortals 
kinder  than  heaven  ?  " 

The  Marquis  rose,  and  took  a  step  or  two 
towards  where  the  bough  swayed  up  and 
down,  and  then  knelt  again. 

"  A  great  sinner,"  said  he,  "  cannot  believe 
himself  forgiven." 

"  Then  he  wrongs  the  power  of  which  he 
seeks  forgiveness  ;  for  forgiveness  is  divine." 

"  Then  I  will  ask  it,  and,  if  I  obtain  it,  I 
shall  die  happy." 

Again  the  bough  swayed :  and  Osra 
said  : 

"  Nay,  if  you  will  die,  you  may  die  unfor- 
given." 

M.  de  Merosailles  hearing  these  words 
sprang  to  his  feet,  and  came  towards  the 
bough,  until  he  was  so  close  that  he  touched 
the  green  leaves  ;  through  them  the  eyes 
of  Osra  gleamed  :  the  sun's  rays  struck  on 
her  eyes,  and  they  danced  in  the  sun  ;  and 
her  cheeks  were  reddened  by  the  same  or 
some  other  cause.  And  the  evening  was 
very  still,  and  there  were  no  sounds  in  the 
forest. 

"  I  cannot  believe  that  you  forgive.  The 
crime  is  so  great,"  said  he. 

"  It  was  great :  yet  I  forgive." 

"  I  cannot  believe  it,"  said  he  again,  and 


70  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

he  looked  at  the  point  of  his  sword,  and  then 
he  looked  through  the  leaves  at  the  Prin- 
cess. 

"  I  cannot  do  more  than  say  that  if  you 
will  live,  I  will  forgive.  And  we  will  forget." 

"  By  heaven,  no,"  he  whispered.  "  If  I 
must  forget  to  be  forgiven,  then  I  will 
remember  and  be  unforgiven." 

The  faintest  laugh  reached  him  from 
among  the  foliage. 

"  Then  I  will  forget,  and  you  shall  be  for- 
given," said  she. 

The  Marquis  put  up  his  hand,  and  held  a 
leaf  aside,  and  he  said  again  : 

"  I  cannot  believe  myself  forgiven.  Is 
there  no  token  of  forgiveness  ?" 

"  Pray,  my  lord,  do  not  put  the  leaves 
aside." 

11  I  still  must  die,  unless  I  have  sure  war- 
rant of  forgiveness." 

"  Ah,  you  try  to  make  me  think  that ! " 

"  By  heaven,  it  is  true  !  "  And  again  he 
pointed  his  sword  at  his  heart,  and  he  swore 
on  his  honour  that  unless  she  gave  him  a 
token  he  would  still  kill  himself. 

"  Oh,"  said  the  Princess  with  great  petu- 
lance, "  I  wish  I  had  not  come  ! " 

"  Then  I  should  have  been  dead  by  now 
— dead,  unforgiven." 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles*    7 1 

"  But  you  will  still  die  !  " 

"  Yes,  I  must  still  die,  unless " 

"  Sheathe  your  sword,  my  lord.  The  sun 
strikes  it,  and  it  dazzles  my  eyes." 

"  That  cannot  be :  for  your  eyes  are 
brighter  than  sun  and  sword  together." 

"Then  I  must  shade  them  with  the  leaves." 

"  Yes,  shade  them  with  the  leaves,"  he 
whispered.  "  Madame,  is  there  no  token 
of  forgiveness  ?  " 

In  the  silence  that  followed  his  eyes  spoke, 
at  last  she  said  : 

''Why  did  you  swear  on  your  honour?" 

"  Because  it  is  an  oath  that  I  cannot 
break." 

"  Indeed  I  wish  that  I  had  not  come," 
sighed  Princess  Osra. 

Again  came  silence.  The  bough  was 
pressed  down  for  an  instant  ;  then  it  swayed 
swiftly  up  again  ;  and  its  leaves  brushed  the 
cheek  of  M.  de  Merosailles.  And  he 
laughed  loudly  and  joyfully. 

"  Something  touched  my  cheek,"  said  he. 

"  It  must  have  been  a  leaf,"  said  Princess 
Osra. 

-Ah,  a  leaf!" 

"  I  think  so,"  said  Princess  Osra. 

"  Then  it  was  a  leaf  of  the  Tree  of  Life," 
said  M.  de  Merosailles. 


72  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  I  wish  some  one  would  set  me  on  my 
horse,"  said  Osra. 

"  That  you  may  ride  back  to  the  castle — 
alone  ?  " 

"Yes,  unless  you  would  relieve  my 
brother's  anxiety." 

"  It  would  be  courteous  to  do  that  much," 
said  the  Marquis. 

So  they  mounted,  and  rode  back  through 
the  forest. 

In  an  hour  the  Princess  had  come,  and  in 
the  space  of  something  over  two  hours  they 
returned  ;  yet  during  all  this  time  they  spoke 
hardly  a  word  :  and  although  the  sun  was 
now  set,  yet  the  glow  remained  on  the  face 
and  in  the  eyes  of  Princess  Osra ;  while  M. 
de  Merosailles,  being  forgiven,  rode  with  a 
smile  on  his  lips. 

But  when  they  came  to  the  castle,  Prince 
Rudolf  ran  out  to  meet  them,  and  he  cried 
almost  before  he  reached  them  : 

"  Hasten,  hasten  !  There  is  not  a  mo- 
ment to  lose,  if  the  Marquis  values  life  or 
liberty  ! "  And  when  he  came  to  them  he 
told  them  that  a  waiting-woman  had  been 
false  to  M.  de  Merosailles  and,  after  taking 
his  money,  had  hid  herself  in  his  chamber, 
and  seen  the  first  kiss  that  the  Princess 
gave  him,  and,  having  made  some  pretext  to 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles*    73 

gain  a  holiday,  had  gone  to  the  King,  who 
was  hunting  near,  and  betrayed  the  whole 
matter  to  him. 

"  And  one  of  my  gentlemen,"  he  contin- 
ued, "  has  ridden  here  to  tell  me.  In  an 
hour  the  Guards  will  be  here,  and  if  the 
King  catches  you,  my  lord,  you  will  hang 
as  sure  as  I  live." 

The  Princess  turned  very  pale,  but  M.  de 
Merosailles  said  haughtily,  "  I  ask  your 
pardon,  sir,  but  the  King  dares  not  hang  me. 
For  I  am  a  gentleman  and  a  subject  of  the 
King  of  France." 

"  Man,  man  !  "  cried  Rudolf.  "  The  Lion 
will  hang  you  first,  and  think  of  all  that  af- 
terwards !  Come  now,  it  is  dusk.  You  shall 
dress  yourself  as  my  groom,  and  I  will  ride 
to  the  frontier,  and  you  shall  ride  behind  me, 
and  thus  you  may  get  safe  away.  I  cannot 
have  you  hanged  over  such  a  trifle." 

"  I  would  have  given  my  life  willingly 
for  what  you  call  a  trifle,  sir,"  said  the  Mar- 
quis with  a  bow  to  Osra. 

"  Then  have  the  trifle  and  life  too,"  said 
Rudolf  derisively.  "  Come  in  with  me,  and 
I  will  give  you  your  livery  ! " 

When  the  Prince  and  M.  de  Merosailles 
came  out  again  on  the  drawbridge  the  even- 
ing had  fallen,  and  it  was  dark  ;  their  horses 


74  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

stood  at  the  end  of  the  bridge,  and  by  the 
horses  stood  the  Princess. 

"  Quick  !  "  said  she.  "  For  a  peasant  who 
came  in,  bringing  a  load  of  wood,  saw  a  troop 
of  men  coming  over  the  crown  of  the  hill, 
and  he  says  they  are  the  King's  Guard." 

"  Mount,  man  ! "  cried  the  Prince  to  M. 
de  Merosailles,  who  was  now  dressed  as  a 
groom.  "  Perhaps  we  can  get  clear,  or  per- 
haps they  will  not  dare  to  stop  me." 

But  the  Marquis  hesitated  a  little,  for  he 
did  not  like  to  run  away  ;  but  the  Princess 
ran  a  little  forward  and,  shading  her  eyes 
with  her  hand,  cried,  "  See  there  !  I  see  the 
gleam  of  steel  in  the  dark.  They  have 
reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  are  riding 
down." 

Then  Prince  Rudolf  sprang  on  his  horse, 
calling  again  to  M.  de  Merosailles,  "  Quick, 
quick  !  Your  life  hangs  on  it !  " 

Then  at  last  the  Marquis,  though  he  was 
most  reluctant  to  depart,  was  about  to  spring 
on  his  horse,  when  the  Princess  turned  and 
glided  back  swiftly  to  them.  And — let  it  be 
remembered  that  evening  had  fallen  thick 
and  black — she  came  to  her  brother  and  put 
out  her  hand,  and  grasped  his  hand,  and 
said  : 

"  My  lord,   I  forgive  your  wrong,  and  I 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Me'rosailles*    75 

thank  you  for  your  courtesy,  and  I  wish 
you  farewell." 

Prince  Rudolf,  astonished,  gazed  at  her 
without  speaking.  But  she,  moving  very 
quickly  in  spite  of  the  darkness,  ran  to 
where  M.  de  Merosailles  was  about  to  spring 
on  his  horse,  and  she  flung*  one  arm  lightly 
about  his  neck,  and  she  said  : 

"  Farewell,  dear  brother,  God  preserve 
you.  See  that  no  harm  comes  to  my  good 
friend,  M.  de  Merosailles."  And  she  kissed 
him  lightly  on  the  cheek.  Then  she  sud- 
denly gave  a  loud  cry  of  dismay,  exclaiming, 
"  Alas,  what  have  I  done  ?  Ah,  what  have  I 
done?"  and  she  hid  her  face  in  her  two  hands. 

Prince  Rudolf  burst  into  a  loud  short 
laugh,  yet  he  said  nothing  to  his  sister,  but 
again  urged  the  Marquis  to  mount  his 
horse.  And  the  Marquis,  who  was  in  a  sad 
tumult  of  triumph  and  of  woe,  leapt  up  ;  and 
they  rode  out,  and  turning  their  faces  to- 
wards the  forest,  set  spurs  to  their  horses 
and  vanished  at  a  breakneck  speed  into  the 
glades.  And  no  sooner  were  they  gone 
than  the  troopers  of  the  King's  Guard  clat- 
tered at  a  canter  up  to  the  end  of  the 
bridge,  where  the  Princess  Osra  stood. 
But  when  their  captain  saw  the  Princess, 
he  drew  rein. 


7  6  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

"What  is  your  errand,  sir?"  she  asked 
most  coldly  and  haughtily. 

"  Madame,  we  are  ordered  to  bring  the 
Marquis  de  Merosailles  alive  or  dead  into 
the  King's  presence,  and  we  have  informa- 
tion that  he  is  in  the  castle,  unless,  indeed, 
he  were  one  of  the  horsemen  who  rode 
away  just  now." 

"  The  horsemen  you  saw  were  my  brother 
the  Prince  and  his  groom,"  said  Osra. 
"  But  if  you  think  that  M.  de  Merosailles  is 
in  the  castle,  pray  search  the  castle  from 
keep  to  cellar;  and  if  you  find  him,  carry 
him  to  my  father,  according  to  your  orders." 

Then  the  troopers  dismounted  in  great 
haste,  and  ransacked  the  castle  from  keep 
to  cellar ;  and  they  found  the  clothes  of 
the  Marquis,  and  the  white  powder  with 
which  f  he  had  whitened  his  face,  but  the 
Marquis  they  did  not  find.  So  the  captain 
came  again  to  the  Princess,  who  still  stood 
at  the  end  of  the  bridge,  and  said  : 

"  Madame,  he  is  not  in  the  castle." 

"  Is  he  not  ?"  said  she,  and  turned  away, 
and,  walking  to  the  middle  of  the  bridge, 
looked  down  into  the  water  of  the  moat. 

"  Was  it  in  truth  the  Prince's  groom  who 
rode  with  him,  madame  ?  "  asked  the  cap- 
tain, following  her. 


The  Wager  of  the  Marquis  de  Me>osailles*    77 

"  In  truth,  sir,  it  was  so  dark,"  answered 
the  Princess,  "  that  I  could  not  myself 
clearly  distinguish  the  man's  face." 

"  One  was  the  Prince,  for  I  saw  you  em- 
brace him,  madame." 

"  You  do  well  to  conclude  that  that  was 
my  brother,"  said  Osra,  smiling  a  little. 

"  And  to  the  other,  madame,  you  gave 
your  hand." 

"  And  now  I  give  it  to  you,"  said  she 
with  haughty  insolence.  "  And  if  to  my 
father's  servant,  why  not  to  my  brother's?" 
And  she  held  out  her  hand  that  he  might 
kiss  it,  and  turned  away  from  him,  and 
looked  down  into  the  water  again. 

"  But  we  found  M.  de  Merosailles's 
clothes  in  the  castle ! "  persisted  the  cap- 
tain. 

"  He  may  well  have  left  something  of  his 
in  the  castle,"  said  the  Princess. 

"I  will  ride  after  them  !  "  cried  the  cap- 
tain. 

"  I  doubt  if  you  will  catch  them,"  smiled 
the  Princess  ;  for  by  now  the  pair  had  been 
gone  half  an  hour,  and  the  frontier  was  but 
ten  miles  from  the  castle,  and  they  could 
not  be  overtaken.  Yet  the  captain  rode  off 
with  his  men,  and  pursued  till  he  met 
Prince  Rudolf  returning  alone,  having  seen 


78  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

M.  de  Merosailles  safe  on  his  way.  And 
Rudolf  had  paid  the  sum  of  a  thousand 
crowns  to  the  Marquis,  so  that  the  fugitive 
was  well  provided  for  his  journey,  and, 
travelling  with  many  relays  of  horses,  made 
good  his  escape  from  the  clutches  of  King 
Henry. 

But  the  Princess  Osra  stayed  a  long  time 
looking  down  at  the  water  in  the  moat. 
Sometimes  she  sighed,  and  then,  again, 
she  frowned,  and,  although  nobody  was 
there,  and  it  was  very  dark  into  the  bar- 
gain, more  than  once  she  blushed.  And  at 
last  she  turned  to  go  into  the  castle.  But, 
as  she  went,  she  murmured  softly  to  her- 
self : 

"  Why  I  kissed  him  the  first  time  I  know  ; 
it  was  in  pity.  And  why  I  kissed  him  the 
second  time  I  know  ;  it  was  in  forgiveness. 
But  why  I  kissed  him  the  third  time,  or 
what  that  kiss  meant,"  said  Osra,  "  heaven 
knows." 

And  she  went  in  with  a  smile  on  her  lips. 


CHAPTER  IE* 
The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhousc* 

"  SEEING  that  my  father  Henry  is  dead, 
and  that  I  am  King ;  seeing  also  that  I  am 
no  longer  a  bachelor,  but  a  married  man  " 
— and  here  he  bowed  to  Margaret  of  Tus- 
cany, his  newly  wedded  wife;  "and  seeing 
that  Osra's  turned  twenty  years  of  age — 
why,  we  are  all  to  be  sober  folk  at  Strelsau 
from  this  day  forward,  and  we  are  to  play 
no  more  pranks.  Here's  a  pledge  to  it !  " 

And  having  said  this,  King  Rudolf  III. 
took  a  deep  draught  of  wine. 

At  this  moment  the  ushers  announced 
that  the  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse  had  come 
to  take  his  leave  of  their  Majesties  and  of 
the  Princess.  This  gentleman  had  accom- 
panied the  Embassy  that  came  from  Eng- 
land to  congratulate  the  King  on  his  mar- 
riage, and  he  had  stayed  some  months  in 
Strelsau,  very  eagerly  acceding  to  the  King's 
invitation  to  prolong  his  visit.  For  such 
were  his  folly  and  headstrong  passion,  that 


8o  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

he  had  fallen  most  desperately  in  love  with 
the  fair  face  of  Princess  Osra,  and  could  not 
endure  to  live  out  of  her  presence.  Yet 
now  he  came  to  bid  farewell,  and  when  he 
was  ushered  in,  Rudolf  received  him  with 
much  graciousness,  and  made  him  a  present 
of  his  own  miniature  set  in  diamonds,  while 
the  Queen  gave  him  her  miniature  set  in 
the  lid  of  a  golden  casket.  In  return,  Lord 
Harry  prayed  the  King  to  accept  a  richly- 
mounted  sword,  and  the  Queen  an  ivory  fan, 
painted  by  the  greatest  artist  of  France  and 
bearing  her  cipher  in  jewels.  Then  he  came 
to  Princess  Osra,  and  she,  having  bidden 
him  farewell,  said  : 

"  I  am  a  poor  maid,  my  lord,  and  I  can 
give  no  great  gift,  but  take  this  pin  from 
my  hair  and  keep  it  for  my  sake." 

And  she  drew  out  a  golden  pin  from  her 
hair,  a  long  and  sharp  pin,  bearing  for  its 
head  her  cipher  in  brilliants,  and  she  gave  it 
to  him,  smiling. 

But  he,  bowing  low  and  then  falling  on 
his  knee,  offered  her  a  box  of  red  morocco 
leather,  and  when  she  opened  it  she  saw  a 
necklace  of  rubies  of  great  splendour.  The 
Princess  flushed  red,  seeing  that  the  gift 
was  most  costly.  And  she  would  fain  have 
refused  it,  and  held  it  out  again  to  Lord 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse,    81 

Harry.  But  he  turned  swiftly  away,  and, 
bowing  once  more,  withdrew.  Then  the 
Princess  said  to  her  brother,  "  It  is  too 
costly." 

The  King,  seeing  how  splendid  the  gift 
was,  frowned  a  little,  and  then  said  : 

"  He  must  be  a  man  of  very  great  wealth. 
They  are  rich  in  England.  I  am  sorry  the 
gift  is  so  great,  but  we  cannot  refuse  it 
without  wounding  his  honour." 

So  the  Princess  set  the  ruby  necklace  with 
her  other  jewels,  and  thought  for  a  day  or 
two  that  Lord  Harry  was  no  wiser  than 
other  men,  and  then  forgot  him. 

Now  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse,  on  leaving 
the  King's  presence,  had  mounted  his  horse, 
which  was  a  fine  charger  and  splendidly 
equipped,  and  ridden  alone  out  of  Strelsau  ; 
for  he  had  dismissed  all  his  servants  and 
despatched  them  with  suitable  gratuities  to 
their  own  country.  He  rode  through  the 
afternoon,  and  in  the  evening  he  reached  a 
village  fifteen  miles  away  ;  here  he  stopped 
at  a  cottage,  cfnd  an  old  man  came  out  and 
escorted  him  in.  A  bundle  lay  on  the  table 
in  the  little  parlour  of  the  cottage. 

"  Here  are  the  clothes,  my  lord,"  said  the 
old  man,  laying  his  hand  on  the  bundle. 

"  And  here   are    mine,"  answered    Lord 


82  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra, 

Harry.  "  And  the  horse  stands  ready  for 
you."  With  this  he  began  to  pull  off  the 
fine  clothes  in  which  he  had  had  audience 
of  the  King,  and  he  opened  the  bundle  and 
put  on  the  old  and  plain  suit  which  it  con- 
tained. Then  he  held  out  his  hand  to  the 
old  man,  saying,  "  Give  me  the  five  crowns, 
Solomon,  and  our  bargain  is  complete." 

Then  Solomon  the  Jew  gave  him  five 
crowns  and  bade  him  farewell,  and  he  placed 
the  crowns  in  his  purse  and  walked  out  of 
the  cottage,  possessing  nothing  in  the  world 
saving  his  old  clothes,  five  crowns,  and  the 
golden  pin  that  had  fastened  the  ruddy  hair 
of  Princess  Osra.  For  everything  else  that 
he  had  possessed,  his  lands  and  houses  in 
England,  his  horses  and  carriages,  his  money, 
his  clothes,  and  all  that  was  his,  he  had 
bartered  with  Solomon  the  Jew,  in  order  that 
he  might  buy  the  ruby  necklace  which  he 
had  given  to  Princess  Osra.  Such  was  the 
strange  madness  wrought  in  him  by  her  face. 

It  was  now  late  evening,  and  he  walked 
to  and  fro  all  night.  In  the  morning  he 
went  to  the  shop  of  a  barber  and,  in  return 
for  one  of  his  crowns,  the  barber  cropped 
his  long  curls  short  and  shaved  off  his 
moustaches,  and  gave  him  a  dye  with  which 
he  stained  his  complexion  to  a  darker  tint  ; 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse*    83 

and  he  made  his  face  dirty,  and  soiled  his 
hands  and  roughened  the  skin  of  them  by 
chafing  them  on  some  flints  which  lay  by 
the  roadside.  Then,  changing  a  second 
crown,  he  bought  a  loaf  of  bread,  and  set 
off  to  trudge  to  Strelsau,  for  in  Strelsau  was 
Osra,  and  he  would  not  be  anywhere  else 
in  the  world.  And  when  he  had  arrived 
there,  he  went  to  a  sergeant  of  the  King's 
Guard,  and  prevailed  on  him  by  a  present 
of  three  crowns  to  enlist  him  as  a  trooper, 
and  this  the  sergeant,  having  found  that 
Lord  Harry  could  ride  and  knew  how  to 
use  his  sword,  agreed  to  do.  Thus  Lord 
Harry  became  a  trooper  in  the  Guard  of 
King  Rudolf,  having  for  all  his  possessions, 
save  what  the  King's  stores  afforded  him, 
a  few  pence  and  the  golden  pin  that  had 
fastened  the  hair  of  Princess  Osra.  But 
nobody  knew  him,  except  Solomon  the  Jew, 
and  he,  having  made  a  good  profit,  held  his 
peace,  both  then  and  afterwards. 

Many  a  day  Lord  Harry  mounted  guard 
at  the  palace,  and  often  he  saw  the  King, 
with  the  Queen,  ride  out  and  back ;  but 
they  did  not  notice  the  face  of  the  trooper. 
Sometimes  he  saw  the  Princess  also,  but 
she  did  not  look  at  him,  although  he  could 
not  restrain  himself  from  looking  at  her; 


84  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra, 

but  since  every  man  looked  at  her  she  had 
grown  accustomed  to  being  gazed  at  and 
took  no  heed  of  it.  But  once  she  wore  the 
ruby  necklace,  and  the  breath  of  the  trooper 
went  quick  and  eager  when  he  saw  it  on 
her  neck  ;  and  a  sudden  flush  of  colour 
spread  over  all  his  face,  so  that  the  Princess, 
chancing  to  glance  at  him  in  passing,  and 
seeing  the  colour  beneath  and  through  the 
dye  that  stained  him,  was  greatly  astonished, 
and  she  reined  in  her  horse  for  an  instant 
and  looked  very  intently  at  him  ;  yet  she 
rode  on  again  in  silence. 

That  evening  there  came  to  the  quarters 
of  the  King's  Guard  a  waiting-woman,  who 
asked  to  see  the  trooper  who  had  mounted 
guard  at  the  west  gate  of  the  palace  that 
day ;  and  when  he  came  the  woman  held 
out  to  him  a  box  of  red  morocco  leather, 
saying,  "  It  is  for  you." 

But  he  answered,  "  It  is  not  for  me,"  and, 
turning  away,  left  her.  And  this  happened 
on  three  evenings.  Then,  on  the  fourth 
day,  it  was  again  his  turn  to  mount  guard 
at  the  palace  ;  and  when  he  had  sat  there 
on  his  horse  for  an  hour,  the  Princess  Osra 
rode  out  from  under  the  portico  ;  she  rode 
alone  and  the  ruby  necklace  was  on  her 
neck  :  and  she  said : 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse*    85 

"  I  am  going  to  ride  outside  the  city  by 
the  river  bank.  Let  a  trooper  follow  me 
some  way  behind."  And  she  signed  with 
her  hand  to  Lord  Harry,  and  he  rode  after 
her  through  the  streets,  and  out  of  the 
Western  Gate ;  and  they  turned  along  the 
bank  of  the  river.  When  they  had  gone 
three  or  four  miles  from  the  city,  Osra 
halted,  and  beckoned  to  Lord  Harry  to 
approach  her  ;  and  he  came.  But  when  she 
was  about  to  speak  to  him  and  tell  him  that 
she  knew  him,  a  sudden  new  madness  came 
on  him  ;  he  seized  her  bridle,  and  dug  his 
spurs  deep  into  his  horse's  flanks,  and  the 
horse  bounded  forward  at  a  gallop.  In 
alarm  the  Princess  cried  out,  but  he  did  not 
heed  her.  Along  the  bank  they  galloped  : 
and  when  they  met  any  one,  which  happened 
seldom  (for  the  place  was  remote,  and  it  was 
now  evening),  he  bade  her  cover  her  face, 
and  she  obeyed,  twisting  her  lace  handker- 
chief about  her  face.  Thus  they  rode  till 
they  came  at  nightfall  to  a  bluff  of  rock  high 
above  the  stream.  Here  Lord  Harry  sud- 
denly checked  the  horses,  flung  himself  from 
his  saddle,  and  bade  the  Princess  dismount. 
She  obeyed,  and  stood  facing  him,  pale 
with  fear  and  apprehension,  but  wearing  a 
proud  and  scornful  air.  And  he  cried  : 


86  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  Is  it  not  well  you  should  die  ?  For  you 
live  but  to  madden  men  and  drive  them  to 
sin  and  folly." 

"  Nay,"  said  she,  "to  men  of  good  heart 
beauty  leads  to  goodness.  From  yourself 
come  the  sin  and  folly,  my  lord  ; "  and  she 
laid  hold  of  the  ruby  necklace  and  broke 
the  clasp  of  it,  and  flung  it  on  the  ground 
before  him.  He  took  no  heed  of  it,  but 
seized  her  hand,  and  drew  her  to  the  edge 
of  the  bluff,  saying  : 

"  The  world  will  be  safer  if  I  fling  you 
down." 

Then  she  looked  in  his  face,  and  a  sudden 
pity  entered  into  her  heart,  and  she  said 
very  gently  : 

"  Sit  down,  my  lord,  and  let  me  put  my 
hands  on  your  brow,  for  I  think  you  are  in 
a  fever." 

He  sat  down,  all  trembling  and  shaking 
like  a  man  with  ague,  and  she  stripped  off 
her  gauntlets,  and  took  his  forehead  be- 
tween her  hands  ;  and  he  lay  there  quiet 
with  his  head  between  her  hands.  Pres- 
ently his  eyes  closed,  and  he  slept.  But 
Osra  did  not  know  what  to  do,  for  darkness 
had  fallen,  and  she  dared  not  leave  him 
alone  there  by  the  river.  So  she  sat  where 
she  was,  and  in  an  hour,  the  night  being 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culvcrhousc*    87 

fine  and  not  cold,  she  grew  weary ;  her 
hands  fell  away  from  his  brow,  and  she 
sank  back  on  the  green  turf,  pillowing  her 
head  on  a  curved  arm,  and  there  she  slept 
with  the  mad  lord  by  her  and  the  ruby 
necklace  lying  near  them. 

At  midnight  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse 
awoke,  and  saw  Princess  Osra  sleeping 
peacefully,  with  a  smile  on  her  lips  such  as 
decks  a  child's  in  sleep.  He  rose  and  stood 
up  on  his  feet,  looking  at  her  :  and  he  heard 
nothing  but  the  sound  of  the  horses  cropping 
the  grass  a  little  way  off.  Then  he  drew 
near  her  and  gazed  long  on  her  face  :  and 
she  opened  her  eyes  and  saw  him ;  she 
smiled  at  him,  and  she  said : 

"  Even  here  I  am  guarded  by  one  of  the 
gentlemen  who  guard  me  in  the  palace." 
And  she  closed  her  eyes  again  and  turned 
to  sleep. 

A  shiver  ran  through  him.  He  dug  his 
nails  into  the  palms  of  his  hands,  and,  turn- 
ing, walked  swiftly  up  and  down  on  the 
bluff  by  the  side  of  the  river,  while  Osra 
slept. 

Presently  he  fell  on  his  knees  beside 
her,  beginning  to  murmur  in  a  rapid  rush 
of  words  :  but  he  did  not  now  curse  her 
beauty,  but  blessed  God  for  it,  and  blessed 


88  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

Him  also  for  the  preservation  of  his  own 
honour.  Thus  he  spent  the  night  till  day 
was  near  :  then  he  bent  over  Osra,  and 
looked  once  more  on  her :  and  he  took  up 
the  ruby  necklace  and  laid  it  lightly  about 
her  neck.  Feeling  the  touch  of  it,  cool 
and  wet  from  the  dew,  she  again  opened 
her  eyes,  and,  putting  her  knuckles  in  them, 
she  rubbed  gently  ;  and  she  gasped  a  gentle 
yawn,  saying:  "  Heigho,  I  am  sleepy!" 
and  sat  up.  And  she  said  : 

"  Are  you  riot  sleepy,  my  lord  ?" 

"  I  am  on  watch,  madame,"  said  Lord 
Harry  Culverhouse. 

As  the  Princess  sat  up,  the  ruby  necklace 
fell  from  her  neck  into  her  lap.  Seeing  it, 
she  held  it  up  to  him,  saying : 

"  Take  it  again,  and  go  to  your  own  home. 
I  am  sure  you  gave  too  great  a  price  for 
it." 

He  smiled,  for  she  did  not  know  how 
great  the  price  was,  and  he  asked  : 

"  Must  I,  in  my  turn,  give  back  the  pin 
that  fastened  your  hair?" 

"  No,  keep  the  pin — it  is  worth  nothing," 
she  smiled.  "  Is  it  safe  for  me  to  go  to 
sleep  a  little  longer?" 

"  Who  would  harm  you,  madame  ?  Even 
I  have  not  harmed  you." 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse.    89 

"  You  ! "    said   she,    with   a   little  laugh. 
"You  would  not  harm  me." 

And  she  lay  down  again  and  closed  her 
eyes. 

Then  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse  sat  down 
on  the  ground,  resting  his  chin  on  his  knees, 
and  clasping  his  hands  about  his  shins, 
and  he  cursed  himself  bitterly  not  now  be- 
cause he  meditated  any  harm  to  her — for  his 
hot  fury  was  past,  and  he  would  have  died 
before  a  hair  of  her  head  should  be  hurt- 
but  because  of  the  evil  that  his  wild  and 
reckless  madness  had  brought  upon  her. 
For  he  knew  that  soon  there  would  be  a 
pursuit,  and  that,  if  she  and  he  were  found 
there,  it  would  become  known  who  he  was, 
and  her  fame  would  suffer  injurious  rumours 
by  reason  of  what  he  had  done.  Therefore 
he  made  up  his  mind  what  he  must  next  do, 
and  he  abandoned  all  the  dreams  that  had 
led  him  into  the  foolish  adventure  on  which 
he  had  embarked,  and  put  from  him  the 
wickedness  that  had  filled  his  heart  when 
first  he  carried  her  to  the  bluff  over  the  river. 
He  rose  on  to  his  knees,  and  prayed  that 
if  his  deed  were  a  sin — for  it  seemed  to 
him  to  be  a  necessary  thing — then  that 
it  might  be  forgiven,  but  that,  in  any  case, 
no  hurt  or  harm  should  befall  the  Princess 


90  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

Osra  by  reason  of  anything  that  he  had 
done.  Finally  he  commended  his  soul  to 
God.  Then  he  took  the  ruby  necklace  in 
his  hand  and,  holding  it,  walked  to  the  edge 
of  the  bluff. 

But  at  this  instant  the  sound  of  the  hoofs 
of  a  horse  struck  on  his  ear  ;  the  sound  was 
loud  and  close,  and  he  had  no  more  time 
than  to  turn  round  before  a  horse  was  reined 
in  suddenly  by  him,  and  a  man  leapt  from 
it  and  ran  at  him  and  grappled  with  him. 
And  Lord  Harry  perceived  that  the  man 
was  the  King.  For  when  Osra  did  not  re- 
turn, search  parties  had  been  sent  out ;  the 
King  himself  headed  one,  and,  having  the 
best  horse  and  being  urged  on  by  love  and 
fear  for  his  sister,  he  had  outridden  all  the 
rest  and  had  chanced  to  come  alone  where 
Osra  and  Lord  Harry  were  ;  and  he  gripped 
Lord  Harry  furiously,  cursing  him  for  a 
scoundrel  and  demanding  what  he  had  done 
to  the  Princess.  Then  Lord  Harry  said  : 

"  Do  you  not  know  me,  sire  ?  I  am  Harry 
Culverhouse." 

Greatly  astonished,  the  King  loosed  his 
hold  and  fell  back  a  pace,  for  he  could  not 
understand  what  he  heard,  but  yet  knew  the 
voice  of  his  friend.  Then,  looking  down,  he 
beheld  Osra  sleeping  peacefully  as  a  child  on 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse*    91 

the  ground,  with  her  cloak  spread  under 
her,  that  she  might  take  no  harm  from  the 
damp.  But  Lord  Harry  caught  him  by  the 
arm,  crying  : 

"  Are  there  others  coming  after  you  ?" 
"Aye,"  said   the    King,    "many  others. 
The  whole  of  the   Guard  are  roused,  and 
seek  her  high  and  low  in  the  city  and  out- 
side.    But  how  came  you  here,  man  ?" 

Then  Lord  Harry  told  the  King  what  he 
had  done,  speaking  very  briefly  and  hastily, 
but  yet  sparing  nothing ;  and  when  he  told 
him  how  he  had  carried  off  the  Princess, 
the  King's  hand  flew  to  the  hilt  of  his  sword. 
But  Lord  Harry  said  "  Not  yet,"  and  con- 
tinued to  tell  the  King  how  Osra  had  pitied 
him,  how  he  had  watched  by  her,  and  how 
she  had  slept  again,  bidding  him  keep  the 
pin.  Then  glancing  at  Osra,  he  lowered 
his  voice  and  spoke  very  quick  and  urgently, 
and  the  King  held  out  his  hand  and  shook 
Lord  Harry's  hand,  asking  :  "  Is  there  no 
other  way?"  But  Lord  Harry  shook  his 
head  ;  then  he  kissed  the  King's  hand  ;  next 
he  went  and  kissed  Osra's  hand  very  softly, 
and  looked  for  the  last  time  on  her  face ; 
and  he  drew  the  golden  pin  from  his  purse 
and  he  put  it  gently  and  deftly  among  her 
hair.  Then  taking  the  ruby  necklace  in  his 


92  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

own  hand  and  clenching  it  tight,  he  said  to 
King  Rudolf: 

"  Sire,  there  are  some  in  the  city  that 
knew  me  before,  but  have  not  known  me 
since  I  have  been  in  your  Guard,  because  I 
have  altered  my  face.  Take  care  that  you 
so  alter  it  that  they  do  not  know  me  again." 

The  King's  breath  caught  in  his  throat, 
for  he  had  loved  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse, 
and  he  asked  again  : 

"  Is  there  no  other  way  ?" 

"Hark!"  said  the  other,  "I  hear  the 
horses  of  your  Guard  drawing  near  \-  I  hear 
them  to  east  and  west  and  north  ;  and  do 
you  not  see  shapes  riding  there  to  the  south, 
across  the  river?  If  I  ride  from  here  alive, 
I  shall  be  taken,  and  the  truth  must  be 
known.  For  my  sake  and  hers,  strike,  sire." 

The  King  took  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse 
by  the  arm  and  drew  him  to  him,  saying: 

"Must  it  be  so,  Harry?  And  we  have 
lived  as  friends  together  !  " 

"  The  sound  of   the  hoofs  is  very  near, 


sire." 


The  King  drew  himself  up  to  his  height, 
and  he  raised  his  hat  from  his  head,  and 
bowed  low  to  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse,  and 
he  said  : 

"  Now  praise  be  to  God  for  the  restora- 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse*    93 

tion  of  this  gentleman  to  a  sound  mind,  and 
may  Christ  grant  him  mercy  for  the  sake  of 
his  honourable  death  !" 

And  he  drew  his  sword  from  its  sheath, 
and  came  up  to  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse, 
who  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  bluff.  The 
King  raised  his  sword  and  struck  with  all 
his  strength  ;  the  head  split  under  the  blow, 
and  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse  fell  dead  from 
the  bluff  into  the  river,  holding  the  ruby 
necklace  in  his  clenched  hand.  But  the 
King  shivered,  and  a  short  sob  burst  from 
him. 

On  this  instant  there  arose  an  eager  glad 
cry,  and  twenty  of  the  Guard  rushed  for- 
ward, greeting  the  King  and  rejoiced  to  see 
the  Princess.  Roused  by  the  noise  of  their 
coming,  she  sat  up  again,  rubbing  her  eyes, 
and  cried  : 

"  Where  is  he  ?     Where  is  Lord  Harry  ?  " 

And  she  looked  round  on  the  troopers, 
and  they  gazed  on  her,  much  astonished  at 
hearing  what  she  said.  But  Rudolf  came  to 
her  and  took  her  hand,  saying  : 

"  Why,  Osra,  you  have  been  dreaming ! 
There  is  no  Lord  Harry  here.  Lord  Harry 
Culverhouse  is  far  off  in  his  own  country. 
Did  that  rascal  of  a  trooper  frighten  you  ?  " 

Her   eyes   grew   wide    in    wonder ;    but 


94  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra« 

before  she  could  speak  he  turned  to  the 
Guard,  saying  : 

"  By  heaven's  pleasure  I  came  in  time  to 
prevent  any  harm,  except  the  loss  of  a  neck- 
lace my  sister  wore.  For  as  I  rode  up,  I 
saw  a  fellow  stooping  down  by  her  and 
fumbling  with  the  clasp  of  her  necklace. 
He  was  one  of  your  troop,  and  had  ridden 
out  behind  her,  and  he  must  have  carried 
her  off  by  force :  now  he  was  endeavouring 
to  rob  her,  and  as  I  rode  up  to  him  he 
sprang  away  from  her,  holding  her  necklace 
in  his  hand  :  but  I  leapt  down  from  my 
horse  and  ran  at  him,  and  he  retreated  in 
fear.  Then  I  drew  my  sword,  and  drove 
him  back  to  the  edge  of  the  bluff  :  and  then 
I  split  his  skull,  and  he  fell  into  the  river, 
still  holding  the  necklace.  But,  thanks  to 
God,  the  Princess  is  not  hurt.  Let  search 
be  made  for  the  fellow's  body,  for  perhaps 
the  necklace  will  be  still  in  his  hand." 

But  one  cried,   "  How  came  they  here  ?  " 

"  Ah,  sister,"  said  the  King,  fixing  his 
eyes  on  Osra,  "  how  came  you  here?" 

Reading  in  the  King's  eyes  the  answer 
that  he  would  have,  she  said  : 

"The  trooper  compelled  me  to  come 
hither  with  him,  and  he  threatened  to  kill 
me  if  I  would  not  give  him  my  necklace. 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhousc*    95 

But  I  refused :  then  he  drew  a  knife  and 
menaced  me  with  it,  and  I  fell  into  a  swoon, 
and  knew  no  more  until  I  awoke  and  found 
you  here ;  and  now  I  see  that  my  necklace 
is  gone." 

"  Bring  her  horse,"  the  King  commanded, 
"and  ride  in  front  and  behind.  We  will 
return  to  the  city  at  the  best  speed  we 
may." 

Then  he  mounted  the  Princess  on  her 
horse,  and  rode  by  her  side,  supporting  her 
with  his  arm  :  and  the  troopers  were  some 
way  off  in  front  and  behind.  But  the 
Princess  felt  the  pin  again  in  her  hair,  and 
putting  up  her  hand  she  pulled  it  out,  and 
she  said  : 

"  He  has  given  me  back  my  pin." 

11  Of  whom  do  you  speak  ?  "  asked  the 
King. 

"  Of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse.  Is  he 
indeed  dead,  Rudolf?" 

"  Are  you  indeed  still  dreaming  ?  "  an- 
swered the  King  with  a  laugh.  "What 
had  that  fellow  to  do  with  Harry  Culver- 
house  ?  " 

"  But  the  pin  ?"  she  cried. 

"  My  wife  set  it  in  your  hair,  before  you 
started,  for  she  wished  to  replace  the  one 
you  gave  to  Lord  Harry." 


96  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

"  She  did  not  touch  my  hair  to-day  ! " 
cried  the  Princess. 

"  Aye,  but  she  did,"  said  he. 

The  Princess  suddenly  fell  to  sobbing  ; 
and  she  said : 

"  Tell  me  the  truth,  tell  me  the  truth. 
Surely  it  was  in  truth  Lord  Harry  Culver- 
house?" 

Then  Rudolf  drew  very  close  to  her,  and 
said  softly  : 

"  Sweet  sister,  the  noble  gentleman  whom 
we  knew,  he  whom  I  loved,  and  who  loved 
you  in  chivalrous  deference,  went  from  us 
two  months  ago.  Be  not  troubled  about 
him,  for  now  all  is  well  with  him.  But 
there  was  an  unhappy  man  with  you,  who 
was  not  our  Harry  Culverhouse,  and  who 
had  murderous  and  mad  thoughts  in  his 
heart.  Yet  at  the  end  he  also  died  as 
readily  and  as  nobly  as  our  dear  friend 
himself  would  have  died  for  your  sake.  I 
pray  you  ask  no  more  of  him,  but  be  con- 
tented to  know  that  though  he  died  by  the 
sword  yet  he  died  in  peace  and  willingly. 
But  of  our  dear  friend,  as  we  knew  him, 
think  as  much  as  you  will,  for  the  love  of  an 
honest  gentleman  is  a  good  thing  to  think 
of." 

The  Princess  Osra,  hearing  this,  laid  her 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse.    97 

hand  in  her  brother's  hand,  and  for  a  long 
while  she  did  not  speak.  Then  she  said  : 

"  But  our  friend  will  not  come  again, 
Rudolf  ?  " 

"  No,  you  will  never  see  our  friend  again," 
answered  the  King. 

"  Then  when  you  see  him — for  I  think 
you  will  see  him  once  again — lay  this  pin  in 
his  hand,  and  bid  him  take  and  keep  it  for 
the  sake  of  the  love  I  bear  him  :  perhaps 
he  will  hear  you." 

"  It  may  be,  I  cannot  tell,"  said  the  King. 

"  And  if  he  has  the  necklace,"  said  she, 
"  pray  him  to  give  that  to  you,  and  sell  it, 
Rudolf,  and  give  the  value  of  it  in  gifts  to 
the  poor.  Yes,  to  all  that  are  unhappy  and 
afflicted,  even  as  the  poor  man  who  was 
with  me  to-night." 

"  So  be  it,  Osra,"  said  the  King,  and  he 
kissed  her.  But  she  burst  again  suddenly 
into  passionate  weeping,  calling  God  to 
witness  that  her  face  was  a  curse  to  her  and 
a  curse  to  her  friends,  and  praying  the  King 
to  suffer  her  to  take  the  veil  in  a  convent, 
that  she  might  trouble  honest  men  no  more. 
Thus  he  brought  her  in  a  sad  plight  to  the 
palace,  and  gave  her  into  the  arms  of  his 
wife,  still  sobbing  bitterly.  And  he  himself 
took  the  pin,  and  when  the  body  of  the 


98  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

mad  trooper  was  found,  with  his  own  hand 
he  covered  the  face,  and  put  the  pin  in  the 
hand  from  which  he  took  the  ruby  necklace  : 
and  he  sold  the  necklace,  and  used  the  pro- 
ceeds of  it  as  his  sister  had  desired. 

Thus  the  madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culver- 
house,  which  was  bred  in  him  by  the  beauty 
of  the  Princess  Osra,  worked  its  way  with 
him,  and  brought  him  first  into  peril  of  great 
villainy,  and  at  last  to  death.  And  his  name 
passed  no  more  on  the  lips  of  any  in  Strel- 
sau,  nor  between  King  Rudolf  and  his  sister, 
while  the  story  that  the  King  had  told  to 
the  troopers  was  believed  by  all,  and  none 
save  the  King  knew  what  Lord  Harry 
Culverhouse  had  done  in  his  madness.  But 
Osra  mourned  for  him,  and  for  a  long  while 
she  would  not  go  abroad,  nor  receive  any 
of  the  princes  or  nobles  who  came  to  the 
Court,  but  lay  still  sick  and  full  of  grief, 
bewailing  the  harm  that  she  had  wrought. 
Yet,  as  time  passed,  she  grew  again  happy, 
for  she  was  young,  and  the  world  was  sweet 
to  her :  and  then,  as  King  Rudolf  had 
bidden  her,  she  remembered  Lord  Harry 
Culverhouse  as  he  had  been  before  his  mad- 
ness came  upon  him.  Yet  still  more  did 
•she  remember  how,  even  in  his  madness, 
he  had  done  her  no  harm,  but  had  watched 


The  Madness  of  Lord  Harry  Culverhouse*.    99 

beside  her  through  the  night,  and  had,  as 
morning  dawned,  entreated  death  at  the 
hands  of  the  King,  preferring  to  die  rather 
than  that  the  talk  of  a  single  idle  tongue 
should  fall  foully  on  her  name.  Therefore 
she  mourned  for  him  with  secret  tears. 

But  he,  although  no  monument  marked  his 
grave,  and  although  men  spoke  only  of  the 
mad  trooper  who  had  robbed  the  Princess, 
yet  slept  soundly  and  at  peace  :  and  his 
right  hand  lay  clenched  upon  his  heart,  and 
in  it  the  golden  pin  that  had  fastened  the 
ruddy  hair  of  Princess  Osra. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman. 

"  I  AM  tired  of  men,"  cried  Princess  Osra, 
"  and  of  suitors,  and  of  princes.  I  will  go 
to  Zenda  and  ride  in  the  forest  all  alone." 

"  You  will  meet  men  even  there,"  said  the 
King. 

u  How  do  you  know  that,  sire?"  she 
asked  with  a  smile. 

"  At  least  I  have  found  it  impossible  to 
avoid  meeting  women  anywhere." 

"  I  do  not  think  it  is  the  same  thing," 
observed  Osra,  smiling  again. 

The  King  said  no  more,  but  let  her  go 
her  own  way  ;  and  to  Zenda  she  went,  and 
rode  in  the  forest  all  alone,  meeting  for 
many  days  no  man  at  all,  though,  perhaps, 
she  thought  a  little  of  those  whom  she  had 
met,  and  (who  can  tell?)  now  and  then  of 
one  whom  she  should  some  day  meet. 
For  the  mind  loves  to  entertain  itself  with 
such  idle  musings,  and  they  are  hardly 
conscious  till  a  sudden  smile  or  a  beat  of 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  101 

the  heart  betrays  them  to  the  abashed 
thinker.  Just  in  this  manner  a  flush  had 
chanced  to  rise  to  Osra's  cheek  one  day 
as  she  rode  in  a  reverie,  being  above  ten 
miles  from  the  Castle  and  on  the  very  edge 
of  the  kingdom's  frontier,  which  skirts 
the  extremity  of  the  forest  on  the  east. 
Breaking  off  her  thoughts,  half  ashamed  of 
them,  she  looked  up  and  saw  a  very  fine  and 
powerful  horse  tethered  to  a  tree  a  few 
yards  away,  saddled  and  bridled.  Then  she 
said  to  herself  with  a  sigh,  "  Alas,  here  is  a 
man  as  my  brother  said  !"  And  she  shook 
her  head  very  sorrowfully. 

The  next  instant  she  saw,  as  she  had  fore- 
boded, a  man  approaching  her ;  indeed,  the 
matter  was  as  bad  as  could  be,  for  he  was 
young  and  handsome,  finely  dressed,  car- 
rying a  good  sword  by  his  side  and  a  brace 
of  pistols  mounted  in  silver  in  his  belt. 
He  held  a  feathered  hat  in  his  hand,  and, 
advancing  with  a  deep  bow,  knelt  on  one 
knee  by  the  Princess's  horse,  saying  : 

"  Madame,  if  you  will,  you  can  do  me 
a  great  service." 

"  If  it  be  in  my  power,  sir,"  she  answered 
— for  since  fate  compelled  her  to  meet  a 
man,  she  would  not  show  him  rudeness — 
"  I  am  at  your  service." 


102  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

11  You  see  my  horse  there,  madame  ?  He 
is  as  dear  as  my  life  to  me  ;  and  I  fear  I 
shall  lose  him,  unless  I  have  your  aid," 
and  he  rose  and  stood  looking  at  the  Prin- 
cess. 

"  Why,  what  threatens  him  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  will  tell  you,  madame.  I  come  from 
across  the  frontier,  from  a  secluded  village 
nearly  ten  miles  from  here.  There  I  live 
with  my  mother,  whom  I  support.  There 
is  a  rich  fellow  there,  a  farmer,  Otho  by 
name,  who  is,  saving  your  presence,  a 
plaguey  boastful  fellow.  And  he  is  to-day 
to  be  betrothed." 

"Do  you  also  love  the  lady?"  asked 
Osra,  thinking  she  had  come  at  the  cause 
of  his  trouble. 

14  Not  I,  madame.  But  this  Otho  boasted 
and  vaunted  so  intolerably  of  her  beauty, 
and  of  his  own  prowess  and  attraction,  that 
last  night  I,  led  away  by  emulation  (nay,  I 
am  ashamed  to  say  that  I  had  also  drunk  a 
flask  of  wine)  wagered  with  him  my  horse 
against  a  thousand  crowns — though  the 
horse  is  worth  two  thousand — that  I  would 
bring  with  me  to  the  feast  a  girl  handsomer 
than  his  Lotta.  But  now  it  is  eleven  o'clock, 
and  the  feast  is  at  one  o'clock,  and  I  have 
no  girl  to  show,  ugly  or  handsome.  And  if 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman,  103 

I  lose  my  horse  I  must  hang  myself,  for  I 
cannot  live  without  him." 

"  You  cannot  live  without  your  horse  ?  " 
she  asked  in  surprise. 

*'  At  least,  madame,"  he  answered  in  some 
confusion,  "  his  loss  would  go  near  to  break- 
ing my  heart." 

"  But  is  this  Lotta  so  handsome  that  you 
can  find  none  to  surpass  her  ?  " 

"  She  is,  indeed,  wonderfully  handsome. 
In  the  village  they  call  her  the  most  beauti- 
ful girl  in  the  world." 

"  Then,  sir,  it  seems  to  me  that  your 
wager  was  most  improvident  and  rash.  For 
you  are  certain  to  lose  it." 

"  Alas,  yes  ! "  he  answered  in  great  dis- 
tress. "  I  am  certain  to  lose  ;  for  there  are, 
I  think,  only  two  ladies  in  the  world  who 
could  save  me,  and  one  would  not." 

"  Two  ladies  ?     Who  are  they  ?  " 

"  Madame,"  said  he,  "  before  you  came  in 
sight,  I  sat  desolate  and  despairing  on  the 
ground,  and  what  I  said  to  myself  was,  *  If 
what  men  say  is  true,  there  is  only  one  lady 
who  could  save  me.  But  how  shall  I,  poor 
Christian  Hantz,  come  at  the  Princess  Osra  ? 
And  would  she  put  on  a  country  girl's 
dress  and  go  to  the  feast  with  me  ?  Alas, 
it  is  impossible  !  And  there  is  no  other 


104  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

lady  in  the  world  beautiful  enough.'  But 
then— 

"  Well,  sir,  what  then  ?  "  asked  Osra,  play- 
ing with  her  whip  and  smothering  a  smile. 

"  Then,  madame,"  said  Christian,  "  I 
looked  up  and  I  saw  you,  and  I  cried,  '  A 
fig  for  the  Princess  Osra  !  For  here  is  a 
lady  more  beautiful  than  all  they  tell  of 
Princess  Osra  ;  I  will  throw  myself  at  her 
feet  and  pray  her  in  pity  to  help  me.' ' 

Still  Osra  hid  her  smile,  and  so  busy  was 
she  with  this  task  that  she  did  not  perceive 
that  Christian  also  hid  a  smile  ;  but  she 
thought  that  he  did  not  know  her,  whereas 
he  had  seen  her  several  times,  and  had  this 
day  tracked  her  in  the  forest,  knowing  that 
she  was  accustomed  to  ride  there. 

"  But  where,"  she  asked,  "  would  the  lady 
who  went  with  you  get  the  dress  you  speak 
of?" 

"At  my  mother's  cottage,  madame,  where 
my  mother  would  wait  on  her." 

"  And  when  could  she  be  back  at  this 
spot  ?  " 

"  By  five  in  the  afternoon,  madame.  I 
would  myself  escort  her." 

"  And  why,  sir,  should  she  rescue  you 
from  the  straits  into  which  your  folly  has 
led  you  ?  " 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  105 

"  Alas,  madame,  for  no  reason,  unless,  by 
a  divine  miracle,  she  should  prove  as  kind 
as  she  is  beautiful." 

.  "  You  have  a  rash  tongue,  sir,  in  other 
matters  than  the  making  of  wagers."  And 
she  looked  at  him.  For  she  was  very  sorely 
tempted  to  do  what  he  prayed  of  her ;  and 
she  said  : 

"  Has  the  Princess  Osra  ever  ridden 
through  your  village  ?  " 

"  Never,  madame." 

"  But  some  there  may  know  her  face,  and 
then  they  will  think  nothing  of  mine." 

"  It  is  unlikely  that  any  one  there  should 
have  seen  even  a  picture  of  her,  for  they  are 
quiet  folk  and  do  not  go  abroad." 

"  Besides,  in  a  peasant's  dress—  "  began 
Osra  meditatively.  But  she  stopped,  blush- 
ing and  laughing.  And  Christian  caught 
her  hand  and  kissed  it,  crying  : 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  come,  madame  !  " 

He  was  so  earnest,  and  his  earnestness 
so  became  his  bronzed  face  and  bright  eyes, 
that  Osra  could  not  deny  him,  but  she  swore 
him  to  secrecy,  and  agreed  to  ride  with  him, 
blaming  herself  all  the  while  very  greatly, 
and  blaming  yet  more  that  Fate  which 
would  not  allow  her  to  be  quit  of  the 
troublesome  race  of  men  even  in  the  recesses 
of  the  forest  of  Zenda. 


io6  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

Turning  their  horses,  therefore,  towards 
the  frontier,  they  set  them  at  a  smart  canter, 
for  there  was  little  time  to  lose  if  they  were 
to  come  to  the  feast  by  one  o'clock  ;  and 
shortly  before  noon,  having  struck  a  bye*- 
path  through  the  trees,  they  came  on  a 
small  cottage  that  stood  apart  and  by  it- 
self ;  and  a  hill  rose  from  it. 

"On  the  other  side  of  the  hill  lies  the 
village,  madame,"  said  Christian,  jumping 
from  his  horse.  "  And  this  is  my  cottage. 
Hallo,  there,  mother  !" 

An  old  woman  came  out,  neatly  and 
cleanly  clad.  Christian  ran  up  to  her,  spoke 
to  her  briefly,  and  brought  her  to  Osra. 
The  worthy  dame,  bewildered  by  the  appear- 
ance and  stately  air  of  the  Princess,  did 
nothing  but  curtsey  and  murmur  incoherent 
thanks,  but  Osra,  now  caught  by  the  ex- 
citement of  the  enterprise,  clapped  her 
hands,  crying : 

"  Quick,  quick,  or  we  shall  be  too  late !" 

So  Christian  lifted  her  down  and  led 
away  the  horses  to  a  shed  behind  the  cot- 
tage. But  the  old  woman  led  Osra  in,  and 
took  her  to  the  bedroom,  where  lay  a 
dress  such  as  the  peasant  girls  wore.  Osra 
took  up  the  skirt,  and  looked  at  it  curi- 
ously. 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  107 

"  Must  I  indeed  wear  this  ?  "  she  asked. 
"  And  I  am  somewhat  tall,  mother  !  " 

The  old  woman  said  that  nothing  would 
serve  save  the  dress,  and  Osra  sighed.  Yet 
as  there  was  no  help  for  it,  she  suffered  the 
old  woman  to  help  her  in  getting  it  on. 

So  the  door  was  shut,  and  Christian  sat 
smiling  in  the  sun  outside,  well  pleased  at 
the  success  of  his  audacious  scheme,  and 
feeling  Otho's  crowns  already  in  his  pocket. 

Still  less  did  he  doubt  of  this  most  desir- 
able result  when  the  door  of  the  cottage 
again  opened  and  Osra  came  out,  blushing, 
and  yet  biting  her  lips  to  keep  back  her 
laughter.  Her  hair  was  plaited  in  two  long 
plaits  ;  she  wore  a  white  bodice,  and  over  it 
a  jacket  of  black  velvet,  and  a  red  skirt  hung 
full  from  her  waist  to  but  a  very  little  below 
her  knee  ;  then  came  hose  of  red  also — for  it 
was  a  holiday,  and  the  best  of  all  was  worn— 
and  stout  square-toed  shoes.  Osra  in  her 
heart  loved  all  except  the  shoes,  yet  she  de- 
clared that  she  loathed  all  except  the  shoes. 
And  Christian,  with  eyes  cast  most  demurely 
on  the  ground,  prayed  her  to  forgive  the 
sad  necessity,  yet  assured  her  that  Lotta 
would  die  of  envy  that  very  day. 

11  Let  us  go  then,"  said  Osra.  "  For  the 
sooner  we  go,  the  sooner  will  it  be  done, 


io8  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

and  I  can  get  rid  of  these  ridiculous  clothes. 
Heaven  have  mercy  on  me  and  grant  that  I 
may  meet  none  who  know  me  ! " 

They  were  mounting  the  hill  now,  the  old 
woman  standing  at  the  cottage  door  and 
watching.  When  they  reached  the  top  Osra 
saw  a  small  village  nestling  in  the  valley  be- 
low, and  the  sound  of  music  struck  on  her 
ear.  At  this  a  sudden  fear  seized  her,  and 
putting  out  her  hand  she  caught  Christian 
by  the  sleeve,  saying  : 

"Will  they  know  me?" 

"  Not  they,  madame,"  said  he.  But  as  he 
spoke  his  eyes  fell  on  a  ring  that  the  Princess 
wore,  a  gem  engraved  with  the  Royal  Arms. 
"Not  they,  if  you  conceal  that  ring;"  and 
for  a  moment  he  looked  in  her  face,  and  he 
smiled. 

Osra  uttered  a  little  cry,  as  she  hastily 
plucked  the  ring  from  her  finger,  and  gave 
it  to  him,  saying : 

"  Keep  it  safe,  and  do  not  forget  to  give 
it  me  again." 

But  she  would  not  meet  his  glance,  for 
she  began  from  now  to  suspect  that  he  knew 
who  she  was. 

The  sound  of  music  came  from  a  solid 
square-built  house  that  stood  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  village,  and  coming  nearer  they 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  109 

saw  a  long  table  spread  in  the  shade  near 
the  house,  and  a  company  of  men  and 
women  seated  at  it.  The  Princess  was 
somewhat  comforted  to  find  that  the  girls' 
dresses  were  in  all  respects  like  her  own, 
though  hers  seemed  newer  and  more  hand- 
some ;  therefore  she  took  courage,  and  put 
her  arm  inside  Christian's  arm,  saying  : 

"  Since  I  have  accepted  the  part,  I  will 
play  it.  Come,  sir,  let  us  go  and  challenge 
Lotta.  Your  horse  is  at  stake  !  " 

"  He  is  in  no  danger,"  said  Christian, 
"  and  I  am  worth  a  thousand  crowns."  And 
his  eyes  most  plainly  added  the  reason  which 
led  him  to  these  comfortable  conclusions. 

Now  at  this  moment  Otho,  having  toasted 
the  company  and  accepted  their  good 
wishes,  was  standing  up  before  them  all, 
Lotta  standing  by  him,  her  hand  in  his  ;  and 
he  vowed  (as  was  but  right)  all  manner  of 
love  and  devotion  [to  her,  and  declared  that 
she  was  the  prettiest  girl  in  the  world  ;  in 
truth  she  was  very  pretty,  being,  although 
low  of  stature,  most  admirably  formed, 
having  golden  hair,  the  pinkest  of  cheeks 
artd  large  blue  eyes  that  followed  a  man 
about  in  a  most  appealing  and  distracting 
manner.  So  that  Otho  had  good  reason 
to  be  content,  and  would  have  come  to  no 


no  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

harm,  had  it  not  been  for  that  old  extrav- 
agance of  lovers  which  will  not  allow  this 
world  to  hold  more  than  one  pretty  girl — 
the  truth  being,  of  course,  quite  otherwise. 
But,  led  on  by  this  infatuation,  Otho  cried  : 

"  I  dare  any  man  to  find  so  pretty  a  girl ! 
As  for  Master  Christian  whose  wager  you 
heard — why,  this  evening  his  fine  horse  shall 
feed  in  my  stable  !  " 

"  Softly,  friend  Otho,  softly,"  came  to  the 
ears  of  the  feasters  from  behind  the  trees. 
"  Mistress  Lotta  is  very  pretty,  but  I  have 
here  a  girl  whom  some  think  handsome. 
Well,  this  worthy  company  shall  judge." 
And  Christian  came  from  the  shelter  of  the 
trees  leading  Osra  by  the  hand,  and  he  set 
her  opposite  to  Lotta,  where  all  could  see 
her.  And  all  looked  and  beheld  her  with 
amazement.  But  none  spoke.  So  they 
rested  for  a  long  while,  Christian  smiling 
and  Osra's  eyes  being  set  on  Lotta,  while 
Otho  did  nothing  but  gaze  at  Osra. 

Presently  a  low  murmur  began  to  run 
along  the  table.  "  Who  is  she?"  asked 
some  one,  but  none  could  answer.  "  Who 
is  she  ?"  called  an  old  man  to  Christian,  but 
he  answered,  "  What's  that  to  you  ?  Is  she 
not  fairer?"  And  when  the  others  asked 
whence  she  came,  he  made  the  same  answer. 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman.  1 1 1 

But  one  young  fellow  leant  from  his  place 
and  plucked  Christian's  sleeve,  saying,  "  Is 
she  promised  to  you  ?  "  and  at  this  Chris- 
tian frowned,  answering,  "  At  least  she  is 
not  for  you,"  while  Osra,  overhearing, 
blushed  mightily.  Then  Otho,  still  saying 
nothing,  suddenly  lugged  out  a  great  purse 
of  money,  and  flung  it  violently  into  the 
middle  of  the  table  with  a  curse,  and  Chris- 
tian with  a  mocking  lift  of  his  hat,  came  for- 
ward, and,  taking  it,  tossed  it  up  and  down 
in  his  hand,  crying,  "  Is  it  fair  weight,  neigh- 
bour Otho?"  Otho  did  not  heed  him,  but 
turned  suddenly  to  Lotta  and  put  his  arm 
round  her  waist,  saying  : 

"  Aye,  it  is  true.  The  devil  must  have 
sent  her,  but  it  is  true.  Yet  you  are  pretty 
too,  my  lass."  For  Lotta,  after  looking  at 
all  the  company  and  at  Osra,  had  been  so 
sorely  wounded  in  her  pride  and  robbed  of 
her  triumph,  that,  poor  child,  she  had  begun 
to  weep,  hiding  her  face  in  her  hands,  and 
Otho  was  trying  to  comfort  her,  though, 
lover  as  he  was,  he  could  not  for  the  life  of 
him  declare  that  she  was  more  beautiful  than 
the  girl  whom  Christian  had  brought.  And 
they  all  moved  from  their  places  and  came 
to  stand  round  Osra.  But  she,  after  a  mo- 
ment, caught  from  Christian  the  bag  that  he 


ii2  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

tossed  so  exultantly,  crying  to  him  :  "  I'll 
be  your  debtor  for  it  ;"  and  bursting  through 
the  ring,  she  ran  round  the  table  and  came 
to  Lotta,  and,  pulling  the  girl's  hands  down 
from  her  face,  she  thrust  the  bag  into  her 
hands,  and  began  to  talk  to  her,  whispering 
low,  and  looking  into  her  frightened  eyes 
with  shining  eyes. 

"  Ah,  my  dear,"  said  Osra,  "  see,  he  still 
loves  you,  dear.  Ah,  why  did  I  come  ?  But 
I  am  going  away,  yes,  now,  and  I  shall  never 
come  here  again.  I  do  harm  wherever  I  go  ! 
Yes,  but  you'll  be  the  prettiest  girl  in  the 
village  always  !  Otho,  Otho,  kiss  her,  Otho  ! 
Tell  her  that  you  love  her,  Otho.  Don't 
stand  there  dumb.  Oh,  how  stupid  men 
are  !  Don't  you  see  what  she  wants  ?  Yes, 
do  it  again.  I  never  saw  anybody  so  pretty, 
Otho.  Yes,  yes,  dear,  keep  the  bag.  It's 
from  me ;  you  must  keep  it,  and  buy  pretty 
clothes  and  be  prettier  than  ever,  for  Otho's 
sake,  because  he  loves  you." 

By  the  time  the  Princess  Osra  had  ended 
her  consolations,  behold  she  was  very  nearly 
crying  herself !  But  Lotta  put  her  arms 
round  the  Princess's  neck  and  kissed  her, 
because  she  said  that  Otho  still  loved  her  ; 
and  in  her  gratitude  for  this,  she  forgot 
thanks  for  the  bag  of  crowns,  or  even  to 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  113 

wonder  who  this  girl  was  that  could  give 
away  a  thousand  crowns.  But  in  this  the 
rest  of  the  company  were  not  like  her,  and 
an  eager  murmuring  marked  the  excitement 
with  which  they  watched  the  scene  ;  and 
they  cried  to  Christian  : 

"  Look  after  your  crowns ;  "  and  thought 
him  mad  when  he  shook  his  head  jauntily, 
answering  : 

"  Let  Otho  do  what  he  will  with  them." 

Then,  their  interest  growing  more  and 
more  intense,  they  crowded  round  the 
Princess,  scanning  her  very  closely  ;  and  she 
was  in  great  fear  that  she  would  be  known, 
and  also  in  some  embarrassment  from  the 
ardent  glances  and  free  comments  of  the 
simple  countrymen,  who  were  accustomed 
to  say  what  they  thought  with  more  plain- 
ness than  were  the  gentlemen  of  the  Court. 
So  that  at  length,  fairly  alarmed,  she  gave 
Lotta  a  last  hasty  kiss,  and  made  her  way 
to  Christian,  crying:  "  Take  me  away." 

"  Aye,  madame,"  said  he,  and  he  put  her 
arm  in  his  and  turned  away.  But  all  the 
company  followed  him,  staring  and  gossip- 
ing and  crowding,  so  that  Lotta  and  Otho 
were  left  alone  at  the  feast  which  Otho  had 
provided,  with  nothing  to  console  them  but 
one  another's  love  and  the  happily  recovered 


ii4  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

thousand  crowns.  And  the  crowd  pressed 
hard  on  Osra  and  Christian,  being  full  of 
eagerness  to  see  where  the  girl  went  and 
what  became  of  her.  Thus  they  reached 
the  top  of  the  hill  and  came  in  sight  of 
Christian's  cottage.  But  now  Christian  sud- 
denly loosed  Osra's  arm  and,  turning  round, 
faced  the  throng  of  inquisitive  folk  ;  with 
either  hand  he  drew  a  silver-mounted  pistol 
from  his  belt  ;  and  when  he  had  cocked 
the  pair,  he  pointed  them  at  his  friends  and 
neighbours,  saying  in  a  quiet  and  pleasant 
voice  :  "  I  shall  count  to  twenty.  Any  one 
who  means  to  be  within  range  when  I  come 
to  twenty  had  best  now  order  his  coffin." 

At  this  a  great  grumbling  arose  among 
them  ;  yet  they  knew  Christian,  and  did 
not  wait  till  he  had  counted,  but  one  and 
all  turned  tail  and  ran  down  the  hill  much 
quicker  than  they  had  come  up.  But  one 
or  two  fellows,  resentful  and  malicious  be- 
cause of  their  disappointment,  as  soon  as 
they  found  themselves  out  of  range,  turned 
round  and  shouted  : 

"  Aye,  he  is  ready  with  his  pistol,  is 
Christian.  We  know  him.  Highwayman! 
Whom  did  you  last  rob  ?  "  And  Christian 
went  red  as  the  frock  that  Osra  wore.  But 
she  turned  questioning  eyes  on  him. 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  115 

"Yes,"  said  he  sullenly.  "They  say 
highwayman  ;  it  is  true.  I  am  a  robber. 
That  is  why  I  said,  madame,  that  I  could 
not  live  without  my  horse." 

"Come,"  said  Osra,  "let  us  go  to  the 
cottage." 

So  they  returned  together  to  the  cottage, 
saying  nothing.  There  Osra  put  on  her 
own  clothes  again,  and  having  bidden  fare- 
well to  the  old  woman  who  asked  no 
questions  of  her,  mounted  her  horse.  Then 
Christian  said  : 

"Shall  I  ride  with  you,  madame?" 

She  bowed  her  head  in  assent. 

Till  they  entered  the  forest  the  Princess 
did  not  speak.  But  then  she  sighed, 
saying : 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  went  with  you.  For 
if  you  had  lost  your  horse  maybe  you 
would  have  ceased  from  your  way  of  life. 
It  is  better  to  lose  a  horse  than  to  be 
hanged." 

"  Madame,"  said  he,  "  you  speak  pru- 
dently. Yet  I  had  rather  be  hanged  than 
lose  him." 

"  I  am  in  your  debt  a  thousand  crowns," 
said  she,  and,  stopping  her  horse,  she  wrote 
for  him  an  order  for  a  thousand  crowns,  and 
she  signed  it  with  her  own  name,  Osra,  and 


n6  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

gave  it  to  him.  He  received  it  bowing  very 
low. 

"  You  knew  me  all  the  time  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,  madame,"  said  he.  They  had  now 
come  to  where  he  had  first  met  her. 

"  Why  do  you  live  by  robbery?"  she 
asked. 

"  For  the  love  of  the  same  thing  that 
made  you  come  with  me  to-day,  madame." 

"  But  could  you  not  find  what  you  love 
in  the  King's  service  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  like  service,  madame,"  said 
Christian.  "  I  love  to  be  free." 

She  paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  said 
in  a  lower  tone  : 

"  Could  you  not  endure  my  service,  sir  ?  " 

"In  that  I  shall  now  live  and  die, 
madame,"  said  he,  and  she  felt  his  eyes 
upon  her. 

Again  in  silence  they  rode  on ;  it  was 
evening  now,  and  had  grown  dark,  and 
presently  the  [lantern  in  the  tower  of  the 
keep  of  Zenda  became  visible.  Then  Osra 
drew  rein. 

"  For  my  sake,"  said  she,  "  rob  no  more." 

"  What  you  command,  madame,  is  my 
law.  And  here  is  your  ring." 

"  Keep  the  ring,"  she  said.  "  But  when 
I  can  serve  you,  you  shall  send  it  back 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman,  117 

to  me,  and  ask  what   you  will    in  return  for 
it" 

"  There  is  nothing,"  said  he,  very  low, 
and  looking  away  from  her,  "  that  I  would 
take  in  exchange  for  it." 

"  A  foolish  man  or  only  a  foolish  speech  ?  " 
she  asked  as  lightly  as  she  could,  with  one 
fleeting  glance  at  his  face. 

"  A  foolish  man,  madame,  it  may  be,  but 
a  true  speech,"  and  he  bent  bareheaded  in 
his  saddle  and  raised  her  hand  to  his  lips. 
And,  still  bareheaded,  he  turned  away  and 
rode  back  at  a  canter  into  the  forest.  But 
the  Princess  Osra  rode  on  to  the  Castle,  won- 
dering greatly  at  what  she  had  done  that  day. 

Yet  she  could  not  be  very  sorry  that  she 
had  saved  his  horse  for  him,  and  she  trusted 
that  Otho  and  Lotta  would  be  happy,  and 
she  thought  that  one  man  was,  after  all,  as 
good  flesh  and  blood  as  another,  and  then 
that  she  was  a  Princess  and  he  a  robber, 
and  that  his  eyes  had  been  over  bold.  ^  Yet 
there  was  deference  in  them  also. 

"  It  is  a  great  pity  that  he  should  be  a 
robber,"  sighed  the  Princess,  as  she  reached 
the  Castle. 

The  Princess  Osra's  carriage  was  within 
two  miles  of  Strelsau  when  she  put  her  head 


n8  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

out  of  the  window  and  asked  the  officer  who 
rode  by  the  wheel  why  such  a  throng  of 
people  hastened  to  the  city. 

"It  is  nothing,  madame,"  answered  he, 
saluting.  "  It  is  only  that  two  rogues  are 
to  be  hanged  to-day." 

"  What  pleasure  is  there  in  seeing  men 
hanged  ?  "  asked  Osra  scornfully.  "  I  wish 
I  had  not  come  to-day."  And  she  drew  her 
head  back  in  disgust.  Then  she  called : 
"  Go  slowly,  and  do  not  let  me  get  into  the 
middle  of  the  wild  beasts  who  go  to  gloat 
over  men  being  hanged." 

So  the  horses  were  checked  to  a  walk,  and 
thus  the  carriage  proceeded  slowly  towards 
Strelsau..  But  presently  the  Princess  put 
her  head  out  of  the  window  again  and 
asked  : 

"  Who  are  to  be  hanged  to-day,  sir?" 

"  The  noted  highwayman,  Sigismund 
Kohl,  madame,"  said  the  officer.  "  He 
robbed  the  Archbishop's  coach  in  the  forest 
of  Zenda ;  but  they  pursued  him  over  the 
frontier  and  tracked  him  to  the  cottage  of 
the  other  rogue,  who  had  a  part  in  many 
previous  robberies,  though  not  in  this.  The 
second  fellow  hid  Kohl,  and  tried  to  put  off 
the  officers,  but  they  caught  them  both,  and 
both  are  to  be  hanged." 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  119 

"  It  seems  hard,"  said  Osra,  "  to  hang  the 
one  who  only  sheltered  his  friend.  He  could 
do  no  less." 

"  Nay,  madame,  he  richly  deserves  it. 
Besides  his  previous  robberies,  he  is  gravely 
suspected  of  a  most  foul  murder.  For  a  few 
weeks  ago  he  was  in  company  with  a  girl, 
and  she  seemed  to  have  money  and  to  spare, 
and  was  mighty  pretty  too,  they  say.  Now 
he  can  give  no  account  of  what  has  become 
of  her ;  but  they  have  found  all  the  clothes 
she  wore  hidden  away  in  his  house,  and  he 
says  his  mother  bought  the  clothes.  But 
they  are  a  girl's  clothes,  not  an  old  woman's. 
It  looks  black  ;  but  luckily  the  other  matter 
is  enough  to  hang  him  on.  His  mother's 
clothes,  in  faith  !  Would  an  old  woman, 
who  died  three  weeks  ago,  have  bought  a 
new  red  frock  and  smart  red  stockings  for 
herself  ?  " 

"  A  red  frock  ?  Red  stockings  ?  And 
the  mother  is  dead  ?  Dead  of  what  ?" 

"  Of  a  chill,  madame,  such  as  carries  old 
people  off  suddenly.  Yes,  it  looks  black,  and 
so  the  people  think,  for  when  the  pair  were 
brought  into  the  city,  though  the  rascals 
cheered  Kohl  who  had  only  robbed  the 
Archbishop,  they  pelted  and  came  near  to 
killing  Christian  Hantz." 


120  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

The  Princess's  face  went  pale,  and  she 
sank  back,  murmuring  "  Christian  Hantz!" 
But  in  another  moment  she  cried  : 

"  At  what  hour  is  the  hanging  ?  " 

"  At  noon,  madame  ;  that  is,  half  an  hour 
from  now." 

Then  the  Princess  cried  in  a  loud  urgent 
tone  : 

"Faster,  faster!  Drive  at  top  speed!" 
The  officers  looked  at  her  in  wonder  ;  but 
she  cried :  "  A  hundred  crowns  to  the 
coachman  if  he  brings  me  to  the  place  before 
noon  !  Quick,  quick  !"  For  she  was  all  on 
fire  at  the  thought  that  Christian  Hantz 
was  to  be  hanged,  not  for  any  new  robbery 
but  because  he  had  sheltered  his  friend. 
And  she  knew  how  the  red  skirt  and  the 
red  stockings  came  in  his  house ;  her 
breath  caught  in  her  throat,  as  she  thought 
how  he  had  suffered  stoning  and  execration 
rather  than  betray  her  secret.  And  she 
cried  out  to  herself  as  she  was  carried  along, 
"  But  the  ring  !  Why  did  he  not  send  the 
ring?" 

By  now  they  were  at  the  gates  of  the  city, 
and  now  within  them.  The  officer  and  the 
two  men  who  were  with  him  rode  forward 
to  clear  the  road  for  the  Princess.  Thus 
they  made  their  way  on,  until  they  came  to 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman.  121 

the  street  which  leads  from  the  West  Gate 
to  the  Cathedral,  and  could  see  the  gibbet 
that  had  been  raised  before  the  prison, 
between  the  Cathedral  and  the  Palace.  But 
here  the  whole  street  was  blocked  with 
people,  and  the  officer  could  not  get  the 
carriage  through,  for  the  folk  were  thick 
as  swarming  bees  all  across  the  roadway, 
and  even  if  they  would  have  moved,  they 
could  not ;  so  the  carriage  came  to  a  dead 
stand,  while  the  officer  said  to  Princess 
Osra: 

"  Madame,  it  is  useless,  we  cannot  get 
through  them."  Osra  sprang  from  the  car- 
riage, and  she  said  : 

"  You  have  two  men  with  you,  sir.  For 
God's  sake,  gentlemen,  bring  me  through 
to  the  foot  of  the  scaffold.  I  care  not  if  it 
costs  me  my  life." 

"  Nor  we,  madame,  though  it  costs  us 
ours,  since  it  is  your  pleasure,"  they  said,  as 
every  man  in  the  city  would  have  said  for 
the  Princess  Osra.  And  the  two  men  went 
ahead,  while  Osra  followed  with  the  officer  ; 
and  pushing  and  struggling,  and  dodging  in 
and  out,  aye,  and  when  need  was,  hitting, 
and  buffeting,  and  kicking,  the  three  took 
her  through  into  the  square  of  the  Cathedral. 
And  the  clock  in  the  great  tower  struck  noon. 


122  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

As  the  bell  boomed  a  cry  went  up  from 
the  thronged  square  ;  the  body  of  a  man 
shot  from  the  scaffold  to  the  top  of  the 
gibbet  and  hung  there.  The  people  cried 
aloud,  some  cheering,  some  also  groaning 
and  weeping. 

"  Who  is  it,  who  is  it  ?"  asked  the  Princess. 

"  It  is  Sigismund  Kohl,  madame,"  said 
the  officer. 

"  Then  on,  on,  on ! "  she  commanded, 
and  again  they  struggled  forward.  Now  a 
louder  and  fiercer  cry  rang  out  as  a  man  was 
brought  forward  on  the  scaffold,  in  his  shirt 
and  breeches.  A  priest  was  with  him, 
holding  a  crucifix  before  his  eyes.  King 
Rudolf,  who  sat  at  a  window  of  his  palace, 
asked  why  they  delayed  to  string  the 
rascal  up  ;  and  one  of  his  gentlemen  an- 
swered : 

"  Sire,  the  priest  begged  a  few  minutes' 
delay.  For  the  obstinate  rogue  will  not 
confess  to  the  murder  of  the  girl,  and 
therefore  cannot  receive  absolution,  and  the 
priest  is  loth  to  have  him  hanged  without 
it." 

"  He  shall  be  hanged  without  it,  unless 
his  conscience  act  quickly,"  said  the  King. 
But  a  moment  later,  he  asked  : 

"  What  is  the  tumult  in  the  corner  of  the 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  123 

square  ?     There  is  a  fight  there.     Let  it  be 
seen  to." 

Indeed  there  was  a  fight ;  for  the  three 
with  Osra  were  bent  on  getting  through, 
and  the  crowd  would  not  let  them  through  ; 
and  they  struck  at  the  crowd,  and  the 
crowd  at  them.  But  suddenly  some  one, 
peering  past  the  Guards,  exclaimed  :  "  The 
Princess  Osra,  the  Princess  ! "  Then  the 
blows  ceased,  and  the  crowd  began  slowly 
to  give  back,  making  way  for  Osra.  And 
she  walked  between  walls  of  people,  yet  did 
not  seem  to  see  or  to  take  heed  of  any  of 
them  ;  her  eyes  were  glued  to  the  man  on 
the  scaffold.  For  even  now  the  priest,  who 
had  held  the  crucifix,  turned  sorrowfully 
away,  and  signed  with  his  hand  to  the 
hangman. 

Again  the  people  shouted  fiercely  for 
Christian's  death  ;  and  he,  stepping  forward, 
gave  himself  into  the  executioner's  hands. 
Those  who  were  near  him  saw  that  there 
was  a  smile  on  his  lips,  and,  as  the  hangman 
took  hold  of  him,  he  kissed  a  little  packet 
which  he  held  in  his  right  hand.  But  the 
people  shrieked  loudly:  "  Murderer,  mur- 
derer !  Where  is  the  girl  ?  "  At  this,  stung 
beyond  endurance,  Christian  cried,  so  loudly 
that  his  voice  rose  above  the  clamour : 


124  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra« 

"  I  am  no  murderer,  I  did  not  touch  a  hair 
of  her  head." 

"  Then  where  is  she,  where  is  she  ?"  they 
shouted. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  said  he  ;  and  he  added 
in  a  low  tone,  kissing  his  little  packet  again  : 
"  Wherever  she  is,  God  in  his  graciousness 
send  her  joy."  And  he  turned  to  the  exe- 
cutioner, saying,  "  Get  on,  man."  But  then 
he  looked  as  it  were  for  the  last  time  on  the 
living  sea  of  faces  round  him,  and  suddenly, 
out  of  all  of  them,  he  saw  one. 

What  Christian  saw  the  King  saw  also, 
and  he  rose  from  his  chair  with  an  oath  and 
a  laugh. 

"  This  sister  of  mine  is  a  wonderful 
wench,"  said  he.  "  Come,  let  us  see  why 
she  will  not  have  this  rascal  hanged.  Run, 
some  one,  and  tell  them  not  to  string  him 
up  till  I  give  the  word." 

The  King  walked  out  of  the  palace  and 
came  into  the  square,  the  Guard  parting  the 
people  before  him  ;  and  Osra,  seeing  him 
coming,  stood  now  quite  still,  blushing  and 
smiling,  although  she  was  very  ashamed  and 
panted  sorely. 

Then  the  King  came  and  faced  her,  say- 
ing nothing,  but  lifting  his  eyebrows  and 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  125 

smiling  whimsically ;  but  at  last  he  whis- 
pered : 

"  What,  was  there  a  man  in  the  forest, 
Osra  ?  " 

And  she  answered  :  "  Do  not  ask  me 
that,  sire,  but  ask  Christian  Hantz  what  is 
in  the  packet  which  he  kissed  as  the  hang- 
man took  hold  of  him." 

"  He  is  not  only  a  robber,  but  a  murderer 
also,  though  he  will  not  own  to  it." 

"  No,  he  is  no  murderer,"  said  she. 
"  Look  in  the  packet." 

"  Then  come  and  look  with  me,"  said  the 
King,  and  taking  her  hand  he  led  her  up 
on  to  the  scaffold  in  the  sight  of  all  the 
people,  who  wondered  and  laughed ;  for 
they  always  laughed  at  the  ways  of  the 
Princess  Osra.  But  she  flew  straight  across 
to  Christian,  who  fell  on  one  knee  with  the 
rope  round  his  neck. 

"Give  me  the  packet,"  she  cried,  and  she 
tore  it  open.  And  in  it  she  found  her 
order  for  a  thousand  crowns  and  the  gem 
engraved  with  the  Royal  Arms.  For  an 
instant  she  looked  at  Christian,  and  then 
she  said  : 

"You  have  not  got  money  for  the  order  ? 
Yet  my  name  is  good  for  a  thousand 
crowns." 


126  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  To  me,  madame,  it  was  better  than  fifty 
thousand." 

"  But,"  she  broke  out  eagerly ;  "  you 
should  have  sent  the  ring.  I  could  have 
saved  you." 

"  But  you  would  have  kept  it  in  return 
for  the  service,  madame." 

"Aye,  sir,  that  was  the  bargain,"  said 
Osra,  with  a  little  low  laugh. 

"  I  knew  it.  And  I  preferred  to  die  with 
it  rather  than  live  without  it." 

"Another  foolish  speech  !" 

"Yes,  for  the  man  is  foolish,  madame." 

"  And  they  cry  to  you,  '  Where  is  the 
girl?'  And  you  do  not  answer,  but  die 
under  a  foul  charge  ! " 

To  this  Christian  Hantz  made  no  answer 
at  all,  unless  it  were  one  to  murmur  mourn- 
fully : 

"  And,  madame,  they  have  taken  from  me 
the  red  skirt  and " 

The  Princess  Osra  suddenly  turned  from 
him,  and  went  to  the  King,  who  had  stood 
regarding  her  ;  and  she  knelt  down  before 
him,  saying : 

"  Sire  and  dear  brother,  pardon  this  man. 
He  did  but  shelter  his  friend,  and  he  will 
rob  no  more." 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  127 

"  I  might  forgive  him  his  robberies,  if  he 
would  take  service  in  my  army." 

"  Yes,  in  my  regiment  of  Guards  ! "  she 
cried. 

"  But  how  shall  I  forgive  that  foul  mur- 
der, of  which  he  is  certainly  guilty  ?  For 
where,  sister,  is  the  pretty  girl,  of  whom  no 
traces  can  be  found  saving  her  dress,  her 
red  skirt,  and ?  " 

"Sire,  these  things — I  pray  you,  sire,  let 
your  gentlemen  stand  back  a  little." 

"  Stand  back,  then,  gentlemen,"  said  the 
King. 

"  These  things,  sire,  were,  by  a  strange 
chance,  in  the  little  parcel  that  the  poor 
man  kissed.  Though  why  he  kissed  it,  I 
do  not  know." 

The  King  took  Osra's  order  for  a  thou- 
sand crowns,  and  also  the  gem  engraved 
with  the  Royal  Arms ;  he  looked  at  them 
and  at  his  sister. 

"  Therefore,  sire,"  said  she,  "  I  ask  life 
and  pardon  for  the  most  courteous  gentle- 
man in  your  dominions.  Ft>r  he  prized  mj 
ring  above  his  life  and  my  secret  above  his 
honour.  Sire,  such  men  should  live  and 
not  die." 

The  King  turned  to  his  officers,  and  said  : 

"  Gentlemen,    the    Princess    knows    that 


128  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

the  girl  is  alive  and  well  and  has  no  com- 
plaint against  this  man.  For  he  might  not 
in  honour  tell  who  or  where  she  was.  And, 
for  the  rest,  he  did  but  shelter  his  friend, 
and  my  sister  is  surety  that  he  will  rob  no 
more.  May  he  live  ?" 

When  they  heard  this,  they  all  declared 
that  Christian  should  live,  and  they  went 
into  the  crowd  and  told  the  people  that  the 
girl  was  found.  Then  the  people  suddenly 
veered  round  and  began  to  cheer  Christian, 
and  some  cried,  "  Who  is  the  girl  ? "  and 
laughed  merrily,  conceiving  that  it  was  a 
love  affair  on  which  Christian  had  been 
engaged  ;  and  because  he  preferred  to  die 
under  an  imputation  of  murder  rather  than 
endanger  his  love's  reputation,  he  became  a 
hero  with  them  ;  and  when  they  heard  he 
was  not  to  die,  they  dispersed  in  the  utmost 
good  temper,  cheering  him  and  the  King, 
and  above  all  the  Princess  Osra,  whom 
they  loved. 

But  she  went  again  to  Christian,  and  bade 
the  hangman  take  the  rope  off  his  neck. 

"Will  you  serve  in  my  regiment  of 
Guards,  sir?"  she  asked.  "Or  is  service 
still  irksome  to  you  ?  " 

"  I  will  serve  you.  madame,"  said  Chris- 
tian. 


The  Courtesy  of  Christian  the  Highwayman*  129 

"  And  since  you  will  need  equipment,  get 
money  for  this  order,"  and  she  gave  him 
again  the  order. 

"  I  must  needs  obey  you,  madame,  though 
reluctantly." 

"  It  is  well,  sir.  I  trust  you  will  serve  me 
faithfully.  I  bid  you  farewell,  sir,"  and  she 
bowed  slightly,  and  turned  as  if  to  leave 
him.  And  he  said  nothing,  but  stood  look- 
ing at  her,  so  that  presently  she  blushed, 
saying  : 

"  They  will  let  you  have  those  things  now, 
sir." 

Christian  bowed  very  low,  and,  raising 
himself  again,  looked  at  her  ring. 

"  Nay,  I  cannot  do  that,"  said  Princess 
Osra.  "  But  you  will  see  it  now  and  then, 
and,  now  and  then,  maybe,  you  can  touch 
it."  And  she  put  the  ring  on  her  finger  and 
held  out  her  hand  to  him.  He  knelt  and 
kissed  the  ring  and  then  her  hand  ;  but  he 
looked  very  glum.  And  the  Princess 
laughed  openly  at  him,  her  eyes  dancing  in 
delight  and  amusement.  But  he  still  looked 
more  as  though  he  were  going  to  be  hanged 
than  he  had  any  time  before  in  the  day. 
So  that  the  King,  pointing  at  him,  said  to 
Osra  : 

"  An  ungrateful  dog  !     Upon  my  soul  he 


J3°  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

looks  as  though  he  were  sorry  not  to  be 
hanged !  Do  you  call  that  courtesy  ?  " 

But  the  Princess  laughed  softly  and  rub- 
bed the  ring  on  her  finger,  as  she  answered  : 

"  Aye,  sire,  I  call  that  the  best  of  cour- 
tesy." 


CHAPTER  V. 
The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein* 

IN  the  days  of  Rudolf  III.  there  stood  on 
the  hill  opposite  the  Castle  of  Zenda,  and 
on  the  other  side  of  the  valley  in  which  the 
town  lies,  on  the  site  where  the  chdteau  of 
Tarlenheim  now  is  situated,  a  fine  and 
strong  castle  belonging  to  Count  Nikolas 
of  Festenburg.  He  was  a  noble  of  very 
old  and  high  family,  and  had  great  estates  ; 
his  house  being,  indeed,  second  only  to  the 
Royal  House  in  rank  and  reputation.  He 
himself  was  a  young  man  of  great  accom- 
plishments, of  a  domineering  temper,  and 
of  much  ambition  ;  and  he  had  gained  dis- 
tinction in  the  wars  that  marked  the  closing 
years  of  the  reign  of  King  Henry  the  Lion. 
With  King  Rudolf  he  was  not  on  terms  of 
cordial  friendship,  for  he  despised  the  King's 
easy  manners  and  carelessness  of  dignity,, 
while  the  King  had  no  love  for  a  gentleman 
whose  one  object  seemed  to  be  to  surpass 
and  outshine  him  in  the  eyes  of  his  people, 


132  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

and  who  never  rested  from  extending  and 
fortifying  his  castle  until  it  threatened  to 
surpass  Zenda  itself  both  in  strength  and 
magnificence.  Moreover  Nikolas,  although 
maintaining  a  state  ample  and  suitable  to 
his  rank,  was  yet  careful  and  prudent, 
while  Rudolf  spent  all  that  he  received  and 
more  besides,  so  that  the  Count  grew 
richer  and  the  King  poorer.  But  in  spite 
of  these  causes  of  difference,  the  Count  was 
received  at  Court  with  apparent  gracious- 
ness,  and  no  open  outburst  of  enmity  had 
yet  occurred,  the  pair  being,  on  the  contrary, 
often  together,  and  sharing  their  sports  and 
pastimes  with  one  another. 

Now  most  of  these  diversions  were  harm- 
less, or,  indeed,  becoming  and  proper,  but 
there  was  one  among'  them  full  of  danger  to 
a  man  of  hot  head  and  ungoverned  impulse 
such  as  King  Rudolf  was.  And  this  one 
was  diceing,  in  which  the  King  took  great 
delight,  and  in  which  the  Count  Nikolas  was 
very  ready  to  encourage  him.  The  King, 
who  was  generous  and  hated  to  win  from 
poor  men  or  those  who  might  be  playing 
beyond  their  means  in  order  to  give  him 
pleasure,  was  delighted  to  find  an  opponent 
whose  purse  was  as  long  or  longer  than  his 
own,  and  thus  gradually  came  to  pass  many 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modensteiru      133 

evenings  with  the  boxes  in  Nikolas's  com- 
pany. And  the  more  evenings  he  passed 
the  deeper  he  fell  into  the  Count's  debt ;  for 
the  King  drank  wine,  while  the  Count  was 
content  with  small  beer,  and  when  the 
King  was  losing  he  doubled  his  stakes, 
whereas  the  Count  took  in  sail  if  the  wind 
seemed  adverse.  Thus  always  and  steadily 
the  debt  grew,  till  at  last  Rudolf  dared  not 
reckon  how  large  it  had  become,  nor  did  he 
dare  to  disclose  it  to  his  advisers.  For 
there  were  great  public  burdens  already  im- 
posed by  reason  of  King  Henry's  wars, 
and  the  citizens  of  Strelsau  were  ncft  in  a 
mood  to  bear  fresh  exaction,  nor  to  give  their 
hard  earnings  for  the  payment  of  the  King's 
gambling  debts  ;  in  fine,  although  they 
loved  the  Elphbergs  well  enough,  they 
loved  their  money  more.  Thus  the  King 
had  no  resource  except  in  his  private  pos- 
sessions, and  these  were  of  no  great  value, 
saving  the  Castle  and  estate  of  Zenda. 

At  length,  when  they  had  sat  late  one 
night  and  the  throws  had  gone  all  the 
evening  against  the  King  and  for  Nikolas, 
the  King  flung  himself  back  in  his  chair, 
drained  his  glass,  and  said  impatiently  : 

"  I  am  weary  of  the  game !  Come,  my 
lord,  let  us  end  it." 


134  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

"  I  would  not  urge  you,  sire,  a  moment 
beyond  what  you  desire.  I  play  but  for 
your  pleasure." 

"  Then  my  pleasure  has  been  your  profit," 
said  the  King  with  a  vexed  laugh,  "  for 
I  believe  I  am  stripped  of  my  last  crown. 
What  is  my  debt?" 

The  Count,  who  had  the  whole  sum 
reckoned  on  his  tablets,  took  them  out, 
and  shewed  the  King  the  amount  of  the 
debt. 

"  I  cannot  pay  it,"  said  Rudolf.  "  I  would 
play  you  again,  to  double  the  debt  or  wipe 
it  out*  but  I  have  nothing  of  value  enough 
to  stake." 

The  desire  which  had  been  nursed  for 
long  in  the  Count's  heart  now  saw  the 
moment  of  its  possible  realisation. 

He  leant  over  the  table,  and,  smoothing 
his  beard  with  his  hand,  said  gently : 

"  The  amount  is  no  more  than  half  the 
value  of  your  Majesty's  Castle  and  demesne 
of  Zenda." 

The  King  started  and  forced  a  laugh. 

"  Aye,  Zenda  spoils  the  prospect  from 
Festenburg,  does  it?"  said  he.  "But  I 
will  not  risk  Zenda.  An  Elphberg  with- 
out Zenda  would  seem  like  a  man  robbed 
of  his  wife.  We  have  had  it  since  we  have 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.     135 

had  anything  or  been  anything.  I  should 
not  seem  King  without  it." 

"  As  you  will,  sire.  Then  the  debt 
stands?"  He  looked  full  and  keenly  into 
the  King's  eyes,  asking  without  words, 
"  How  will  you  pay  it  ?  "  and  adding  with- 
out words,  "  Paid  it  must  be."  And  the 
King  read  the  unspoken  words  in  the  eyes 
of  Count  Nikolas. 

The  King  took  up  his  glass,  but  finding 
it  empty  flung  it  angrily  on  the  floor,  where 
it  shivered  into  fragments  at  Count  Nikolas's 
feet ;  and  he  shifted  in  his  chair  and  cursed 
softly  under  his  breath.  Nikolas  sat  with 
the  dice-box  in  his  hand  and  a  smile  on  his 
lips  ;  for  he  knew  that  the  King  could  not 
pay,  and  therefore  must  play,  and  he  was 
in  the  vein,  and  did  not  doubt  of  winning 
from  the  King  Zenda  and  its  demesne. 
Then  he  would  be  the  greatest  lord  in  the 
kingdom,  and  hold  for  his  own  a  kingdom 
within  the  kingdom,  and  the  two  strongest 
places  in  all  the  land.  And  a  greater 
prize  might  then  dangle  in  reach  of  his 
grasp. 

'  The  devil  spurs  and  I  gallop,"  said  the 
King  at  last.  And  he  took  up  the  dice-box 
and  rattled  it. 

"  Fortune  will  smile  on  you  this  time,  sire, 


136  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

and  I  shall  not  grieve  at  it,"  said  Count 
Nikolas  with  a  courteous  smile. 

"Curses  on  her!"  cried  the  King. 
"  Come,  my  lord,  a  quick  ending  to  it !  One 
throw,  and  I  am  a  free  man,  or  you  are 
master  of  my  castle." 

"  One  throw  let  it  be,  sire,  for  it  grows 
late,"  assented  Nikolas  with  a  careless  air  ; 
and  they  both  raised  the  boxes  and  rattled 
the  dice  inside  them.  The  King  threw ; 
his  throw  was  a  six  and  a  five,  and  a  sudden 
gleam  of  hope  lit  up  his  eyes ;  he  leant 
forward  in  his  chair,  gripping  the  elbows  of 
it  with  his  hands ;  his  cheeks  flushed  and 
his  breath  came  quickly.  With  a  bow 
Count  Nikolas  raised  his  hand  and  threw. 
The  dice  fell  and  rolled  on  the  table.  The 
King  sank  back ;  and  the  Count  said  with 
a  smile  of  apology  and  a  shrug  of  his 
shoulders  : 

"  Indeed  I  am  ashamed.  For  I  cannot 
be  denied  to-night." 

For  Count  Nikolas  of  Festenburg  had 
thrown  sixes,t  and  thereby  won  from  the 
King  the  Castle  and  demesne  of  Zenda. 

He  rose  from  his  chair,  and,  having 
buckled  on  his  sword  that  had  lain  on  the 
table  by  him,  and  taking  his  hat  in  his  hand, 
stood  looking  down  on  the  King  with  a 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.     137 

• 

malicious  smile  on  his  face.  And  he  said 
with  a  look  that  had  more  mockery  than 
respect  in  it : 

"  Have  I  your  Majesty's  leave  to  with- 
draw ?  For  ere  day  dawn,  I  have  matters 
to  transact  in  Strelsau,  and  I  would  be  at 
my  Castle  of  Zenda  to-night." 

Then  King  Rudolf  took  a  sheet  of  paper 
and  wrote  an  order  that  the  Castle,  and  all 
that  was  in  it,  and  all  the  demesne  should 
be  surrendered  to  Count  Nikolas  of  Festen- 
burg  on  his  demand,  and  he  gave  the  paper 
to  Nikolas.  Then  he  rose  up  and  held  out 
his  hand,  which  Nikolas  kissed,  smiling 
covertly,  and  the  King  said  with  grace  and 
dignity  : 

"  Cousin,  my  Castle  has  found  a  more 
worthy  master.  God  give  you  joy  of  it." 

And  he  motioned  with  his  hand  to  be  left 
alone.  Then,  when  the  Count  had  gone, 
he  sat  down  in  his  chair  again,  and  remained 
there  till  it  was  full  day,  neither  moving  nor 
yet  sleeping.  There  he  was  found  by  his 
gentlemen  when  they  came  to  dress  him, 
but  none  asked  him  what  had  passed. 

Count  Nikolas,  now  Lord  of  Zenda,  did 
not  so  waste  time,  and  the  matters  that  he 
had  spoken  of  did  not  keep  him  long  in 
Strelsau  ;  but  in  the  early  morning  he  rode 

J  %  o 


138  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

out,  the  paper  which  the  King  had  written 
in  his  belt. 

First  he  rode  with  all  speed  to  his  own 
house  of  Festenburg,  and  there  he  gathered 
together  all  his  followers,  servants,  foresters, 
and  armed  retainers,  and  he  told  them  that 
they  were  to  ride  with  him  to  Zenda,  for 
that  Zenda  was  now  his  and  not  the  King's. 
At  this  they  were  greatly  astonished,  but 
they  ate  the  fine  dinner  and  drank  the  wine 
which  he  provided,  and  in  the  evening  they 
rode  down  the  hill  very  merry,  and  trotted, 
nearly  a  hundred  strong,  through  the  town, 
making  a  great  noise,  so  that  they  disturbed 
the  Bishop  of  Modenstein,  who  was  lying 
that  night  at  the  inn  in  the  course  of  a 
journey  from  his  See  to  the  Capital  ;  but 
nobody  could  tell  the  Bishop  why  they  rode 
to  Zenda,  and  presently  the  Bishop,  being 
wearied  with  travelling,  went  to  his  bed. 

Now  King  Rudolf,  in  his  chagrin  and 
dismay,  had  himself  forgotten,  or  had  at 
least  neglected  to  warn  the  Count  of  Fes- 
tenburg, that  his  sister  Princess  Osra  was 
residing  at  the  Castle  of  Zenda  ;  for  it  was 
her  favourite  resort,  and  she  often  retired 
from  the  Court  and  spent  many  days  there 
alone.  There  she  was  now  with  two  of  her 
ladies,  a  small  retinue  of  servants,  and  no 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein*      139 

more  than  half  a  dozen  Guards  ;  and  when 
Count  Nikolas  came  to  the  gate,  it  being 
then  after  nine,  she  had  gone  to  her  own 
chamber,  and  sat  before  the  mirror,  dressed 
in  a  loose  white  gown,  with  her  ruddy  hair 
unbound  and  floating  over  her  shoulders. 
She  was  reading  an  old  story  book,  contain- 
ing tales  of  Helen  of  Troy,  of  Cleopatra, 
of  Berenice,  and  other  lovely  ladies,  very 
elegantly  related  and  embellished  with  fine 
pictures.  And  the  Princess,  being  very 
much  absorbed  in  the  stories,  did  not  hear 
nor  notice  the  arrival  of  the  Count's  com- 
pany, but  continued  to  read,  while  Nikolas 
roused  the  watchmen,  and  the  bridge  was 
let  down,  and  the  steward  summoned. 
Then  Nikolas  took  the  steward  aside,  and 
shewed  him  the  King's  order,  bearing  the 
King's  seal,  and  the  steward,  although  both 
greatly  astonished  and  greatly  grieved, 
could  not  deny  the  letter  or  the  seal,  but 
declared  himself  ready  to  obey  and  to  sur- 
render the  Castle ;  and  the  sergeant  in 
command  of  the  Guard  said  the  same  ;  but, 
they  added,  since  the  Princess  was  in  the 
Castle,  they  must  inform  her  of  the  matter, 
and  take  her  commands. 

"  Aye,  do,"  said  Nikolas,  sitting  down  in 
the  great  hall.     "  Tell  her  not  to   be  dis- 


140  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

turbed,  but  to  give  me  the  honour  of  being 
her  host  for  as  long  as  she  will,  and  say 
that  I  will  wait  on  her,  if  it  be  her  pleas- 


ure." 


But  he  smiled  to  think  of  the  anger  and 
scorn  with  which  Osra  would  receive  the 
tidings  when  the  steward  delivered  them  to 
her. 

In  this  respect  the  event  did  not  fall  short 
of  his  expectations,  for  she  was  so  indignant 
and  aghast  that,  thinking  of  nothing  but 
the  tidings,  she  flung  away  the  book  and 
cried  :  "  Send  the  Count  here  to  me,"  and 
stood  waiting  for  him  there  in  her  chamber, 
in  her  white  gown  and  with  her  hair  un- 
bound and  flowing  down  over  her  shoulders. 
And  when  he  came  she  cried  :  "  What  is 
this,  my  lord  ?j"  and  listened  to  his  story 
with  parted  lips  and  flashing  eyes,  and  thus 
read  the  King's  letter  and  saw  the  King's 
seal.  And  her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  but 
she  dashed  them  away  with  her  hand. 
Then  the  Count  said,  bowing  to  her  as 
mockingly  as  he  had  bowed  to  her  brother  : 

"  It  is  the  fortune  of  the  dice,  madame." 

"  Yes,  my  lord,  as  you  play  the  game," 
said  she. 

His  eyes  were  fixed  on  her,  and  it  seemed 
to  him  that  she  was  more  beautiful  in  her 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein*     141 

white  gown  and  with  her  hair  unbound  over 
her  shoulders,  than  he  had  ever  felt  her  to 
be  before,  and  he  eyed  her  closely.  Sud- 
denly she  looked  at  him,  and  for  a  moment 
he  averted  his  eyes  ;  but  he  looked  again 
and  her  eyes  met  his.  For  several  mo- 
ments she  stood  rigid  and  motionless.  Then 
she  said  : 

"  My  lord,  the  King  has  lost  the  Castle 
of  Zenda,  which  is  the  home  and  cradle  of 
our  House.  It  was  scarcely  the  King's 
alone  to  lose.  Have  I  no  title  in  it  ?  " 

"  It  was  the  King's,  madame,  and  now  it 
is  mine,"  smiled  Nikolas. 

"  Well,  then,  it  is  yours,"  said  she,  and 
taking  a  step  towards  him,  she  said  :  "  Have 
you  a  mind  to  venture  it  again,  my  lord  ?" 

"  I  would  venture  it  only  against  a  great 
stake,"  said  he,  smiling  still,  while  his  eyes 
were  fixed  on  her  face  and  marked  every 
change  in  the  colour  of  her  cheeks,  i 

"  I  can  play  dice  as  well  as  the  King," 
she  cried.  "  Are  we  not  all  gamblers,  we 
Elphbergs  ?  "  And  she  laughed  bitterly. 

"  But  what  would  your  stake  be  ? "  he 
asked  sneeringly. 

Princess  Osra's  face  was  now  very  pale, 
but  her  voice  did  not  tremble  and  she  did 
not  flinch  ;  for  the  honour  of  her  House 


142  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

and  of  the  throne  was  as  sacred  to  her  as 
her  salvation,  and  more  than  her  happiness. 

"  A  stake,  my  lord,'*  said  she,  "  that  many 
gentlemen  have  thought  above  any  castle 
in  preciousness." 

"  Of  what  do  you  speak  ?  "  he  asked,  and 
his  voice  quivered  a  little,  as  a  man's  does 
in  excitement.  "  For,  pardon  me,  madame, 
but  what  have  you  of  such  value  ?  " 

"  I  have  what  the  poorest  girl  has,  and 
it  is  of  the  value  that  it  pleased  God  to 
make  it  and  pleases  men  to  think  it,"  said 
Osra.  "  And  all  of  it  I  will  stake  against 
the  King's  Castle  of  Zenda  and  its  de- 


mesne." 


Count  Nikolas's  eyes  flashed  and  he  drew 
nearer  to  her  ;  he  took  his  dice-box  from 
his  pocket,  and  he  held  it  up  before  her, 
and  he  whispered  in  an  eager  hoarse  voice  : 

"  Name  this  great  stake,  madame  ;  what 
is  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  myself,  my  lord,"  said  Princess 
Osra. 

"  Yourself  ?  "  he  cried  wondering,  though 
he  had  half  guessed. 

"  Aye.  To  be  the  Lord  of  Zenda  is 
much.  Is  it  not  more  to  be  husband  to  the 
King's  sister  ?  " 

"It  is  more,"  said  he,   "when  the  King's 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Mocfenstein*      143 

sister  is  the  Princess  Osra."  And  he  looked 
at  her  now  with  open  admiration.  But  she 
did  not  heed  his  glance,  but  with  face  pale 
as  death  she  seized  a  small  table  and  drew 
it  between  them  and  cried  :  "  Throw  then, 
my  lord  !  We  know  the  stakes." 

"  If  you  win,  Zenda  is  yours.  If  I  win, 
you  are  mine." 

"  Yes,  I  and  Zenda  also,"  said  she. 
"  Throw,  my  lord  !  " 

"  Shall  we  throw  thrice,  madame,  or  once, 
or  how  often  ?  " 

"  Thrice,  my  lord,"  she  answered,  tossing 
back  her  hair  behind  her  neck,  and  holding 
one  hand  to  her  side.  "  Throw  first,"  she 
added. 

The  Count  rattled  the  box ;  and  the 
throw  was  seven.  Osra  took  the  box  from 
him,  looked  keenly  and  defiantly  in  his  eyes, 
and  threw. 

"  Fortune  is  with  you,  madame,"  said  he, 
biting  his  lips.  "  For  a  five  and  a  four  make 
nine,  or  I  err  greatly." 

He  took  the  box  from  her;  his  hand 
shook,  but  hers  was  firm  and  steady ;  and 
again  he  threw. 

"  Ah,  it  is  but  five,"  said  he  impatiently, 
and  a  frown  settled  on  his  brow. 

"  It  is  enough,  my  lord,"  said  Osra;  and 


144  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

pointed  to  the  dice  that  :she  had  thrown,  a 
three  and  a  one. 

The  Count's  eyes  gleamed  again  ;  he 
sprang  towards  her,  and  was  about  to 
seize  the  box.  But  he  checked  himself  sud- 
denly, and  bowed,  saying : 

"  Throw  first  this  time,  I  pray  you,  ma- 
dame,  if  it  be  not  disagreeable  to  you." 

"  I  do  not  care  which  way  it  is,"  said  Osra, 
and  she  shook  and  made  her  third  cast. 
When  she  lifted  the  box,  the  face  of  the 
dice  showed  seven.  A  smile  broadened  on 
the  Count's  lips,  for  he  thought  surely  he 
could  beat  seven,  he  that  had  beaten  eleven 
and  thereby  won  the  Castle  of  Zenda,  which 
now  he  staked  against  the  Princess  Osra. 
But  his  eyes  were  very  keenly  and  atten- 
tively on  her,  and  he  held  the  box  poised, 
shoulder-high,  in  his  right  hand. 

Then  a  sudden  faintness  and  sickness 
seized  on  the  Princess,  and  the  composure 
that  had  hitherto  upheld  her  failed ;  she 
could  not  meet  his  glance,  nor  could  she 
bear  to  see  the  fall  of  the  dice  ;  but  she 
turned  away  her  head  before  he  threw,  and 
stood  thus  with  averted  face.  But  he  kept 
attentive  eyes  on  her,  and  drew  very  near  to 
the  table  so  that  he  stood  right  over  it. 
And  the  Princess  Osra  caught  sight  of  her 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein,       145 

own  face  in  the  mirror,  and  started  to  see 
herself  pallid  and  ghastly,  and  her  features 
drawn  as  though  she  were  suffering  some 
great  pain.  Yet  she  uttered  no  sound, 

The  dice  rattled  in  the  box  ;  they  rattled 
on  the  table  ;  there  was  a  pause  while  a 
man  might  quickly  count  a  dozen  ;  and  then 
Count  Nikolas  of  Festenburg  cried  out  in 
a  voice  that  trembled  and  tripped  over  the 
words  : 

"  Eight,  eight,  eight  !" 

But  before  the  last  of  the  words  had  left 
his  shaking  lips,  the  Princess  Osra  faced 
round  on  him  like  lightning.  She  raised 
her  hand  so  that  the  loose  white  sleeve  fell 
back  from  her  rounded  arm,  and  her  eyes 
flashed,  and  her  lips  curled  as  she  out- 
stretched her  arm  at  him,  and  cried : 

"  Foul  play  ! " 

For,  as  she  watched  her  own  pale  face  in 
the  mirror — the  mirror  which  Count  Nikolas 
had  not  heeded — she  had  seen  him  throw, 
she  had  seen  him  stand  for  an  instant  over 
the  dice  he  had  thrown  with  gloomy  and 
maddened  face  ;  and  then  she  had  seen  a 
slight  swift  movement  of  his  left  hand,  as 
his  fingers  deftly  darted  down  and  touched 
one  of  the  dice  and  turned  it.  And  all  this 
3he  had  seen  before  he  had  cried  eight. 


146  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

Therefore  now  she  turned  on  him,  and  cried, 
"  Foul  play  ! "  and  before  he  could  speak, 
she  darted  by  him  towards  the  door.  But 
he  sprang  forward,  and  caught  her  by  the 
arm  above  the  wrist  and  gripped  her,  and 
his  fingers  bit  into  the  flesh  of  her  arm,  as 
he  gasped,  "  You  lie !  Where  are  you 
going?"  But  her  voice  rang  out  clear  and 
loud  in  answer : 

"  I  am  going  to  tell  all  the  world  that 
Zenda  is  ours  again,  and  I  am  going  to 
publish  in  every  city  in  the  kingdom  that 
Count  Nikolas  of  Festenburg  is  a  common 
cheat  and  rogue,  and  should  be  whipped  at 
the  cart's  tail  through  the  streets  of  Strelsau. 
For  I  saw  you  in  the  mirror,  my  lord,  I  saw 
you  in  the  mirror !  "  And  she  ended  with 
a  wild  laugh  that  echoed  through  the  room. 

Still  he  gripped  her  arm,  and  she  did  not 
flinch;  for, an  instant  he  looked  full  in  her 
eyes  ;  covetousness,  and  desire,  and  shame, 
came  all  together  upon  him,  and  over-mas- 
tered him,  and  he  hissed  between  set  teeth  : 

"  You  shan't !     By  God,  you  shan't ! " 

"  Aye,  but  I  will,  my  lord,"  said  Osra. 
"  It  is  a  fine  tale  for  the  King  and  for  your 
friends  in  Strelsau." 

An  instant  longer  he  held  her  where  she 
was  ;  and  he  gasped  and  licked  his  lips. 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.      147 

Then  he  suddenly  dragged  her  with  him 
towards  a  couch  ;  seizing  up  a  coverlet  that 
lay  on  the  couch  he  flung  it  around  her,  and 
he  folded  it  tight  about  her,  and  he  drew  it 
close  over  her  face.  She  could  not  cry  out 
nor  move.  He  lifted  her  up  and  swung 
her  over  his  shoulder,  and,  opening  the  door 
of  the  room,  dashed  down  the  stairs  towards 
the  great  hall. 

In  the  great  hall  were  six  of  the  King's 
Guard,  and  some  of  the  servants  of  the  Cas- 
tle, and  many  of  the  people  who  had  come 
with  "Count  Nikolas  ;  they  all  sprang  to 
their  feet  when  they  saw  them.  He  took 
no  heed  of  them,  but  rushed  at  a  run 
through  the  hall,  and  out  under  the  port- 
cullis and  across  the  bridge,  which  had  not 
been  raised  since  he  entered.  There  at  the 
end  of  the  bridge  a  lackey  held  his  horse ; 
and  he  leapt  on  his  horse,  setting  one  hand 
on  the  saddle,  and  still  holding  Osra ;  and 
then  he  cried  aloud  : 

"  My  men  follow  me  !  To  Festenburg  ! " 
And  all  his  men  ran  out,  the  King's 
Guard  doing  nothing  to  hinder  them,  and 
jumping  on  their  horses  and  setting  them 
at  a  gallop,  hurried  after  the  Count.  He, 
riding  furiously,  turned  towards  the  town 
of  Zenda,  and  the  whole  company  swept 


148  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

down  the  hill,  and,  reaching  the  town,  clat- 
tered and  dashed  through  it  at  full  gallop, 
neither  drawing  rein  nor  turning  to  right  01 
left ;  and  again  they  roused  the  Bishop  of 
Modenstein,  and  he  turned  in  his  bed,  won- 
dering what  the  rush  of  mounted  men 
meant.  But  they,  galloping  still,  climbed 
the  opposite  hill  and  came  to  the  Castle  of 
Festenburg  with  their  horses  spent  and 
foundered.  In  they  all  crowded,  close  on 
one  another's  heels ;  the  bridge  was  drawn 
up  ;  and  there  in  the  entrance  they  stood 
looking  at  one  another,  asking  mutely  what 
their  master  had  done,  and  who  was  the 
lady  whom  he  carried  wrapped  in  the  cover- 
let. But  he  ran  on  till  he  reached  the 
stairs,  and  he  climbed  them,  and  entering  a 
room  in  the  gate-tower,  looking  over  the 
moat,  he  laid  the  Princess  Osra  on  a  couch, 
and  standing  over  her  he  smote  one  hand 
upon  the  other,  and  he  swore  loudly  : 

"  Now,  as  God  lives,  Zenda  I  will  have> 
and  her  I  will  have,  and  it  shall  be  her 
husband  whom  she  must,  if  she  will,  pro- 
claim a  cheat  in  Strelsau  !  " 

Then  he  bent  down  and  lifted  the  cover- 
let from  her  face.  But  she  did  not  stir  nor 
speak,  nor  open  her  eyes.  For  she  had 
fallen  into  a  swoon  as  they  rode,  and  did 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein*      149 

not  know  what  had  befallen  her,  nor  where 
she  had  been  brought,  nor  that  she  was  now 
in  the  Castle  of  Festenburg,  and  in  the 
power  of  a  desperate  man.  .Thus  she  lay 
still  and  white,  while  Count  Nikolas  stood 
over  her  and  bit  his  nails  in  rage.  And  it 
was  then  just  on  midnight. 

On  being  disturbed  for  the  third  time,  the 
Bishop  of  Modenstein,  whose  temper  was 
hot  and  cost  him  continual  prayers  and 
penances  from  the  mastery  it  strove  to  win 
over  him,  was  very  impatient  ;  and  since  he 
was  at  once  angry  and  half  asleep,  it  was 
long  before  he  could  or  would  understand 
the  monstrous  news  with  which  his  terrified 
host  came  trembling  and  quaking  to  his 
bedside  in  the  dead  of  the  night.  A  ser- 
vant-girl, stammered  the  frightened  fellow, 
had  run  down  half  dressed  and  panting  from 
the  Castle  of  Zenda,  and  declared  that 
whether  they  chose  to  believe  her  or  not— 
and,  indeed,  she  could  hardly  believe  such 
a  thing  herself,  although  she  had  seen  it 
with  her  own  eyes  from  her  own  window 
— yet  Count  Nikolas  of  Festenburg  had 
come  to  the  Castle  that  evening,  had  spoken 
with  Princess  Osra,  and  now  (they  might 
call  her  a  liar  if  they  chose)  had  carried  off 
the  Princess  with  him  on  his  horse  to  Fes- 


150  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

tenburg;  alive  or  dead  none  knew,  and  the 
men-servants  were  amazed  and  terrified, 
and  the  soldiers  were  at  their  wits'  end, 
talking  big  and  threatening  to  bring  ten 
thousand  men  from  Strelsau  and  to  leave 
not  one  stone  upon  another  at  Festenburg, 
and  what  not.  But  all  the  while  and  for 
all  their  big  talk  nothing  was  done ;  and 
the  Princess  was  at  Festenburg,  alive  or 
dead  or  in  what  strait  none  knew.  And, 
finally,  nobody  but  one  poor  servant-girl 
had  had  the  wit  to  run  down  and  rouse  the 
town. 

The  Bishop  of  Modenstein  sat  up  in  his 
bed  and  he  fairly  roared  at  the  innkeeper : 

"  Are  there  no  men,  then,  who  can  fight 
in  the  town,  fool  ?" 

"  None,  none,  my  lord — not  against  the 
Count.  Count  Nikolas  is  a  terrible  man. 
Please  God,  he  has  not  killed  the  Princess 
by  now." 

"  Saddle  my  horse,"  said  the  Bishop,  "  and 
be  quick  with  it." 

And  he  leapt  out  of  bed  with  sparkling 
eyes.  For  the  Bishop  was  a  young  man, 
but  a  little  turned  of  thirty,  and  he  was  a 
noble  of  the  old  House  of  Hentzau.  Now 
some  of  the  Hentzaus  (of  whom  history 
tells  us  of  many)  have  been  good,  and  some 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein*     151 

have  been  bad ;  and  the  good  fear  God, 
while  the  bad  do  not ;  but  neither  the  good 
nor  the  bad  fear  anything  in  the  world  be- 
sides. Hence,  for  good  or  ill,  they  do  great 
deeds  and  risk  their  lives  as  another  man 
risks  a  pemny.  So  the  Bishop,  leaving  his 
bed,  dressed  himself  in  breeches  and  boots, 
and  set  a  black  hat  with  a  violet  feather  on 
his  head,  and,  staying  to  put  on  nothing  else 
but  his  shirt  and  his  cloak  over  it,  in  ten 
minutes  was  on  his  horse  at  the  door  of  the 
inn.  For  a  moment  he  looked  at  a  strag- 
gling crowd  that  had  gathered  there  ;  then 
with  a  toss  of  his  head  and  a  curl  of  his  lip 
he  told  them  what  he  thought  of  them, 
saying  openly  that  he  thanked  heaven  they 
were  not  of  his  diocese,  and  in  an  instant 
he  was  galloping  through  the  streets  of  the 
town  towards  the  Castle  of  Festenburg, 
with  his  sword  by  his  side  and  a  brace  of 
pistols  in  the  holsters  of  the  saddle.  Thus 
he  left  the  gossipers  and  vapourers  behind, 
and  rode  alone  as  he  was  up  the  hill,  his 
blood  leaping  and  his  heart  beating  quick  ; 
for,  as  he  went,  he  said  to  himself : 

"  It  is  not  often  a  Churchman  has  a 
chance  like  this." 

On  the  stroke  of  half-past  twelve  he  came 
to  the  bridge  of  the  Castle  moat,  and  the 


152  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

bridge  was  up.    But  the  Bishop  shouted,  and 
the  watchman  came  out  and   stood   in   the 

fateway  across  the  moat,  and,  the  night  being 
ne  and  clear,  he  presented  an  excellent  aim. 

"  My  pistol  is  straight  at  your  head," 
cried  the  Bishop,  "  let  down  the  bridge.  I 
am  Frederick  of  Hentzau  ;  that  is,  I  am  the 
Bishop  of  Modenstein,  and  I  charge  you,  if 
you  are  a  dutiful  son  of  the  Church,  to 
obey  me.  The  pistol  is  full- at  your  head/' 

The  watchman  knew  the  Bishop,  but  he 
also  knew  the  Count  his  master. 

"  I  dare  not  let  down  the  bridge  without 
an  order  from  my  lord,"  he  faltered. 

"  Then  before  you  can  turn  round,  you're 
a  dead  man,"  said  the  Bishop. 

"Will  you  hold  me  harmless  with  my 
lord,  if  I  let  it  down  ?  " 

"  Aye,  he  shall  not  hurt  you.  But  if  you 
do  not  immediately  let  it  down,  I'll  shoot 
you  first  and  refuse  you  Christian  burial  af- 
terwards. Come,  down  with  it." 

So  the  watchman,  fearing  that,  if  he  re- 
fused, the  Bishop  would  spare  neither  body 
nor  soul,  but  would  destroy  the  one  and 
damn  the  other,  let  down  the  bridge,  and  the 
Bishop,  leaping  from  his  horse,  ran  across 
with  his  drawn  sword  in  one  hand  and  a  pistol 
in  the  other.  Walking  into  the  hall,  he 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.       153 

found  a  great  company  of  Count  Nikolas's 
men,  drinking  with  one  another,  but  talking 
uneasily  and  seeming  alarmed.  And  the 
Bishop  raised  the  hand  that  held  the  sword 
above  his  head  in  the  attitude  of  benedic- 
tion, saying,  "  Peace  be  with  you  !  " 

Most  of  them  knew  him  by  his  face,  and 
all  knew  him  as  soon  as  a  comrade  whis- 
pered his  name,  and  they  sprang  to  their 
feet,  uncovering  their  heads  and  bowing. 
And  he  said  : 

"  Where  is  your  master  the  Count  ?" 

"  The  Count  is  upstairs,  my  lord,"  they 
answered.  "  You  cannot  see  him  now." 

"  Nay,  but  I  will  see  him,"  said  the  Bishop. 

"  We  are  ordered  to  let  none  pass,"  said 
they,  and  although  their  manner  was  full  of 
respect,  they  spread  themselves  across  the 
hall,  and  thus  barred  the  way  to  the  stair- 
case that  rose  in  the  corner  of  the  hall. 
But  the  Bishop  faced  them  in  great  anger, 
crying : 

"  Do  you  think  I  do  not  know  what  has 
been  done  ?  Are  you  all,  then,  parties  in 
this  treachery?  Do  you  all  want  to  swing 
from  the  turrets  of  the  Castle  when  the 
King  comes  with  a  thousand  men  from 
Strelsau?" 

At  this  they  looked  at  him  and  at  one 


154  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

another  with  great  uneasiness  ;  for  they  knew 
that  the  King  had  no  mercy  when  he  was 
roused,  and  that  he  loved  his  sister  above 
everybody  in  the  world.  And  the  Bishop 
stepped  up  close  to  their  rank.  Then  one 
of  them  drew  his  sword  half-way  from  its 
scabbard.  But  the  Bishop,  perceiving  this, 
cried  : 

"  Do  you  all  do  violence  to  a  lady,  and 
dare  to  lay  hands  on  the  King's  sister? 
Aye,  and  here  is  a  fellow  that  would  strike 
a  Bishop  of  God's  Church  ! "  And  he  caught 
the  fellow  a  buffet  with  the  flat  of  his  sword, 
that  knocked  him  down,  "  Let  me  pass,  you 
rogues,"  said  the  Bishop.  "  Do  you  think 
you  can  stop  a  Hentzau  ?" 

"  Let  us  go  and  tell  the  Count  that  my 
lord  the  Bishop  is  here,"  cried  the  house- 
steward,  thinking  that  he  had  found  a  way 
out  of  the  difficulty  ;  for  they  dared  neither 
to  touch  the  Bishop  nor  yet  to  let  him 
through ;  and  the  steward  turned  to  run 
towards  the  staircase.  But  the  Bishop 
sprang  after  him,  quick  as  an  arrow,  and, 
dropping  the  pistol  from  his  left  hand, 
caught  him  by  the  shoulder  and  hurled  him 
back.  "  I  want  no  announcing,"  he  said. 
"The  Church  is  free  to  enter  everywhere." 
And  he  burst  through  them  at  the  point  of 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.     155 

the  sword,  reckless  now  what  might  befall 
him  so  that  he  made  his  way  through.  But 
they  did  not  venture  to  cut  him  down  ;  for 
they  knew  that  nothing  but  death  would 
stop  him,  and  for  their  very  souls'  sake  they 
dared  not  kill  him.  So  he,  kicking  one  and 
pushing  another  and  laying  about  him  with 
the  flat  of  his  sword  and  with  his  free  hand, 
and  reminding  them  all  the  while  of  their 
duty  to  the  Church  and  of  his  sacred  char- 
acter, at  last  made  his  way  through  and 
stood  alone,  unhurt,  at  the  foot  of  the  stair- 
case, while  they  cowered  by  the  walls  or 
looked  at  him  in  stupid  helplessness  and 
bewilderment.  And  the  Bishop  swiftly 
mounted  the  stairs. 

At  this  instant  in  the  room  in  the  gate- 
tower  of  the  Castle  overlooking  the  moat 
there  had  fallen  a  moment  of  dead  silence. 
Here  Count  Nikolas  had  raised  the  Princess, 
set  her  on  a  couch,  and  waited  till  her  faint- 
ness  and  fright  were  gone.  Then  he  had 
come  near  to  her,  and  in  brief  harsh  tones 
told  her  his  mind.  For  him,  indeed,  the 
dice  were  now  cast  ;  in  his  fury  and  fear  he 
had  dared  all.  He  was  calm  now,  with  the 
calmness  of  a  man  at  a  great  turn  of  fate. 
That  room,  he  told  her,  she  should  never 
leave  alive,  save  as  his  promised  wife,  sworn 


156  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

and  held  to  secrecy  and  silence  by  the  force 
of  that  bond  and  of  her  oath.  If  he  killed 
her  he  must  die,  whether  by  his  own  hand 
or  the  King's  mattered  little.  But  he  would 
die  for  a  great  cause  and  in  a  great  venture. 
"  I  shall  not  be  called  a  cheating  gamester, 
madame,"  said  he,  a  smile  on  his  pale  face. 
"  I  choose  death  sooner  than  disgrace. 
Such  is  my  choice.  What  is  yours  ?  It 
stands  between  death  and  silence  ;  and  no 
man  but  your  husband  will  dare  to  trust 
your  silence." 

"  You  do  not  dare  to  kill  me,"  said  she  de- 
fiantly. 

"  Madame,  I  dare  do  nothing  else.  They 
may  write  'murderer'  on  my  tomb;  they 
shall  not  throw  'cheat'  in  my  living  face." 

"  I  will  not  be  silent,"  cried  Osra,  springing 
to  her  feet.  "  And  rather  than  be  your  wife 
I  would  die  a  thousand  times.  For  a  cheat 
you  are — a  cheat — a  cheat  !  "  Her  voice 
rose,  till  he  feared  that  she  would  be  heard, 
if  any  one  chanced  to  listen,  even  from  so 
far  off  as  the  hall.  Yet  he  made  one  more 
effort,  seeking  to  move  her  by  an  appeal 
to  which  women  are  not  wont  to  be  insen- 
sible. 

"  A  cheat,  yes  !"  said  he.  "  I,  Nikolas  of 
Festenburg,  am  a  cheat.  I  say  it,  though  no 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modensteiru     157 

other  man  shall  while  I  live  to  hear  him. 
But  to  gain  what  stake  ?" 

"  Why,  my  brother's  Castle  of  Zenda." 

"  I  swear  to  you  it  was  not,"  he  cried, 
coming  nearer  to  her.  "  I  did  not  fear  losing 
on  the  cast,  but  I  could  not  endure  not  to 
win.  Not  my  stake,  madame,  but  yours 
lured  me  to  my  foul  play.  Have  you  your 
face,  and  yet  do  not  know  to  what  it  drives 
men  ?" 

"  If  I  have  a  fair  face,  it  should  inspire 
fair  deeds,"  said  she.  "  Do  not  touch  me, 
sir,  do  not  touch  me.  I  loathe  breathing  the 
same  air  with  you,  or  so  much  as  seeing  your 
face.  Aye,  and  I  can  die.  Even  the  women 
of  our  House  know  how  to  die." 

At  her  scorn  and  contempt  a  great  rage 
came  upon  him,  and  he  gripped  the  hilt  of 
his  sword,  and  drew  it  from  the  scabbard. 
But  she  stood  still,  facing  him  with  calm 
eyes.  Her  lips  moved  for  a  moment  in 
prayer,  but  she  did  not  shrink. 

"  I  pray  you,"  said  he  in  trembling  speech, 
mastering  himself  for  an  instant,  "  I  pray 
you  !"  But  he  could  say  no  more. 

"  I  will  cry  your  cheating  in  all  Strelsau," 
said  she. 

"Then  commend  your  soul  to  God.  For 
in  one  minute  you  shall  die." 


158  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

Still  she  stood  motionless  ;  and  he  began 
to  come  near  to  her,  his  sword  now  drawn  in 
his  hand.  Having  come  within  the  distance 
from  which  he  could  strike  her,  he  paused 
and  gazed  into  her  eyes.  She  answered  him 
with  a  smile.  Then  there  was  for  an  instant 
the  utter  stillness  in  the  room ;  and  in  that 
instant  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein  set  his 
foot  on  the  staircase  and  came  running  up. 
On  a  sudden  Osra  heard  the  step,  and  a 
gleam  flashed  in  her  eye.  The  Count  heard 
it  also,  and  his  sword  was  arrested  in  its 
stroke.  A  smile  came  on  his  face.  He  was 
glad  at  the  coming  of  some  one  whom  he 
might  kill  in  fight ;  for  it  turned  him 
sick  to  butcher  her  unresisting.  Yet  he 
dared  not  let  her  go,  to  cry  his  cheating  in 
the  streets  of  Strelsau.  The  steps  came 
nearer. 

He  dropped  his  sword  on  the  floor  and 
sprang  upon  her.  A  shriek  rang  out,  but 
he  pressed  his  hand  on  her  mouth  and  seized 
her  in  his  arms.  She  had  no  strength  to 
resist,  and  he  carried  her  swiftly  across  the 
room  to  a  door  in  the  wall.  He  pulled  the 
door  open — it  was  very  heavy  and  massive — 
and  he  flung  her  down  roughly  on  the  stone 
floor  of  a  little  chamber,  square  and  lofty, 
having  but  one  small  window  high  up, 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.      159 

through  which  the  moonlight  scarcely 
pierced.  She  fell  with  a  moan  of  pain. 
Unheeding,  he  turned  on  his  heel  and  shut 
the  door.  And,  as  he  turned,  he  heard  a 
man  throw  himself  against  the  door  of  the 
room.  It  also  was  strong  and  twice  the 
man  hurled  himself  with  all  his  force  against 
it.  At  last  it  strained  and  gave  way ;  and 
the  Bishop  of  Modenstein  burst  into  the 
room  breathless.  And  he  saw  no  trace  of 
the  Princess's  presence,  but  only  Count 
Nikolas  standing  sword  in  hand  in  front  of 
the  door  in  the  wall  with  a  sneering  smile 
on  his  face. 

The  Bishop  of  Modenstein  never  loved  to 
speak  afterwards  of  what  followed,  saying 
always  that  he  rather  deplored  than  gloried 
in  it,  and  that  when  a  man  of  sacred  pro- 
fession was  forced  to  use  the  weapons  of 
this  world  it  was  a  matter  of  grief  to  him, 
not  of  vaunting.  But  the  King  compelled 
him  by  urgent  requests  to  describe  the 
whole  affair,  while  the  Princess  was  never 
weary  of  telling  all  that  she  knew,  or  of 
blessing  all  bishops  for  the  sake  of  the 
Bishop  of  Modenstein.  Yet  the  Bishop 
blamed  himself ;  perhaps,  if  the  truth  were 
known,  not  for  the  necessity  that  drove  him 
to  do  what  he  did,  as  much  as  for  a  secret 


160  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

and  ashamed  joy  which  he  detected  in  him- 
self. For  certainly,  as  he  burst  into  the 
room  now,  there  was  no  sign  of  reluctance 
or  unwillingness  in  his  face  ;  he  took  off  his 
feathered  hat,  bowed  politely  to  the  Count, 
and  resting  the  point  of  his  sword  on  the 
floor,  asked  : 

"  My  lord,  where  is  the  Princess  ?  " 

4  What  do  you  want  here,  and  who  are 
you  ?"  cried  the  Count  with  a  blasphemous 
oath. 

"  When  we  were  boys  together,  you  knew 
Frederick  of  Hentzau.  Do  you  not  now 
know  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein  ?  " 

"  Bishop  !  This  is  no  place  for  bishops. 
Get  back  to  your  prayers,  my  lord." 

u  It  wants  some  time  yet  before  matins," 
answered  the  Bishop.  "  My  lord,  where  is 
the  Princess  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  want  with  her  ?  " 

"  I  am  here  to  escort  her  wherever  it 
may  be  her  pleasure  to  go." 

He  spoke  confidently,  but  he  was  in  his 
heart  alarmed  and  uneasy  because  he  had 
not  found  the  Princess. 

11 1  do  not  know  where  she  is,"  said 
Nikolas  of  Festenburg. 

"  My  lord,  you  lie,"  said  the  Bishop  of 
Modenstein. 


MY    LORD,    WHERE    IS   THE   PRINCESS  ?'  "—Page  l6o. 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein*      16.1 

The  Count  had  wanted  nothing  but  an 
excuse  for  attacking  the  intruder.  He  had 
it  now,  and  an  angry  flush  mounted  in  his 
cheeks  as  he  walked  across  to  where  the 
Bishop  stood. 

Shifting  his  sword,  which  he  had  picked 
up  again,  to  his  left  hand,  he  struck  the 
Bishop  on  the  face  with  his  gloved  hand. 
The  Bishop  smiled  and  turned  the  other 
cheek  to  Count  Nikolas,  who  struck  again 
with  all  his  force,  so  that  he  reeled  back, 
catching  hold  of  the  open  door  to  avoid 
falling,  and  the  blood  started  dull  red  under 
the  skin  of  his  face.  But  he  still  smiled, 
and  bowed,  saying  : 

"  I  find  nothing  about  the  third  blow  in 
Holy  Scripture." 

At  this  instant  the  Princess  Osra,  who 
had  been  half  stunned  by  the  violence  with 
which  Nikolas  had  thrown  her  on  the  floor, 
came  to  her  full  senses  and,  hearing  the 
Bishop's  voice,  she  cried  out  loudly  for  help. 
He,  hearing  her,  darted  in  an  instant  across 
the  room,  and  was  at  the  door  of  the  little 
chamber  before  the  Count  could  stop  him. 
He  pulled  the  door  open  and  Osra  sprang 
out  to  him,  saying  : 

"  Save  me  !     Save  me!" 

"  You  are  safe,  madame,  have  no  fear," 


162  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra, 

answered  the  Bishop.  And  turning  to  the 
Count,  he  continued  :  "  Let  us  go  outside, 
my  lord,  and  discuss  this  matter.  Our  dis- 
pute will  disturb  and  perhaps  alarm  the 
Princess." 

And  a  man  might  have  read  the  purpose 
in  his  eyes,  though  his  manner  and  words 
were  gentle ;  for  he  had  sworn  in  his  heart 
that  the  Count  should  not  escape. 

But  the  Count  cared  as  little  for  the 
presence  of  the  Princess  as  he  had  for  her 
dignity,  her  honour,  or  her  life  :  and  now 
that  she  was  no  longer  wholly  at  his  mercy, 
but  there  was  a  new  chance  that  she  might 
escape,  his  rage  and  the  fear  of  exposure 
lashed  him  to  fury,  and,  without  more  talk- 
ing, he  made  at  the  Bishop,  crying  : 

"  You  first,  and  then  her  !  I'll  be  rid  of 
the  pair  of  you  ?  " 

The  Bishop  faced  him,  standing  between 
Princess  Osra  and  his  assault,  while  she 
shrank  back  a  little,  sheltering  herself  be- 
hind the  heavy  door.  For  although  she 
had  been  ready  to  die  without  fear,  yet  the 
sight  of  men  fighting  frightened  her,  and 
she  veiled  her  face  with  her  hands,  and 
waited  in  dread  to  hear  the  sound  of  their 
swords  clashing.  But  the  Bishop  looked 
very  happy,  and,  setting  his  hat  on  his  head 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.     163 

with  a  jaunty  air,  he  stood  on  guard.  For 
ten  years  or  more  he  had  not  used  his 
sword,  but  the  secret  of  its  mastery  seemed 
to  revive,  fresh  and  clear  in  his  mind,  and 
let  his  soul  say  what  it  would,  his  body 
rejoiced  to  be  at  the  exercise  again,  so  that 
his  blood  kindled  and  his  eyes  gleamed  in 
the  glee  of  strife.  Thus  he  stepped  for- 
ward, guarding  himself,  and  thus  he  met 
the  Count's  impetuous  onset ;  he  neither 
flinched  nor  gave  back,  but  finding  himself 
holding  his  own,  he  pressed  on  and  on,  not 
violently  attacking  and  yet  never  resting, 
and  turning  every  thrust  with  a  wrist  of 
iron.  And  while  Osra  now  gazed  with  wide 
eyes  and  close-held  breath,  and  Count 
Nikolas  muttered  oaths  and  grew  more 
furious,  the  Bishop  seemed  as  gay  as  when 
he  talked  to  the  King,  more  gaily,  may  be, 
than  Bishops  should.  Again  his  eye 
danced  as  in  the  days  when  he  had  been 
called  the  wildest  of  the  Hentzaus.  And 
still  he  drove  Count  Nikolas  back  and  back. 
Now  behind  the  Count  was  a  window, 
which  he  himself  had  caused  to  be  enlarged 
and  made  low  and  wide,  in  order  that  he 
might  look  from  it  over  the  surrounding 
country  ;  in  time  of  war  it  was  covered  with 
a  close  and  strong  iron  grating.  But  now 


164  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

the  grating  was  off  and  the  window  open, 
and  beneath  the  window  was  a  fall  of  fifty 
feet  or  hard  upon  it  into  the  moat  below. 
The  Count,  looking  into  the  Bishop's  face, 
and  seeing  him  smile,  suddenly  recollected 
the  window,  and  fancied  it  was  the  Bishop's 
design  to  drive  him  on  to  it  so  that  he 
could  give  back  no  more ;  and,  since  he 
knew  by  now  that  the  Bishop  was  his  master 
with  the  sword,  a  despairing  rage  settled 
upon  him  ;  determining  to  die  swiftly,  since 
die  he  must,  he  rushed  forward,  making  a 
desperate  lunge  at  his  enemy.  But  the 
Bishop  parried  the  lunge,  and,  always  seem- 
ing to  be  about  to  run  the  Count  through 
the  body,  again  forced  him  to  retreat  till  his 
back  was  close  to  the  opening  of  the  win- 
dow. Here  Nikolas  stood,  his  eyes  glaring 
like  a  madman's ;  then  a  sudden  devilish 
smile  spread  over  his  face. 

'  Will  you  yield  yourself,  my  lord  ?  "  cried 
the  Bishop,  putting  a  restraint  on  the 
wicked  impulse  to  kill  the  man,  and  lower- 
ing his  point  for  an  instant. 

In  that  short  moment  the  Count  made 
his  last  throw  ;  for  all  at  once,  as  it  seemed, 
and  almost  in  one  motion,  he  thrust  and 
wounded  the  Bishop  in  the  left  side  of  his 
body,  high  in  the  chest  near  the  shoulder, 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein*      165 

and,  though  the  wound  was  slight,  the  blood 
flowed  freely  ;  then  drawing  back  his  sword, 
he  seized  it  by  the  blade  half-way  up  and 
flung  it  like  a  javelin  at  the  Princess,  who 
stood  still  by  the  door,  breathlessly  watch- 
ing the  fight.  By  an  ace  it  missed  her 
head,  and  it  pinned  a  tress  of  her  hair  to  the 
door  and  quivered  deep-set  in  the  wood  of 
the  door.  When  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein 
saw  this,  hesitation  and  mercy  passed  out 
of  his  heart,  and  though  the  man  had  now 
no  weapon,  he  thought  of  sparing  him  no 
more  than  he  would  have  spared  any  cruel 
and  savage  beast,  but  he  drove  his  sword 
into  his  body,  and  the  Count,  not  being  able 
to  endure  the  thrust  without  flinching, 
against  his  own  will  gave  back  before  it. 
Then  came  from  his  lips  a  loud  cry  of  dis- 
may and  despair ;  for  at  the  same  moment 
that  the  sword  was  in  him  he,  staggering 
back,  fell  wounded  to  death  through  the  open 
window.  The  Bishop  looked  out  after  him, 
and  Princess  Osra  heard  the  sound  of  a 
great  splash  in  the  water  of  the  moat  be- 
low ;  for  very  horror  she  sank  against  the 
door,  seeming  to  be  held  up  more  by  the 
sword  that  had  pinned  her  hair  than  by 
her  own  strength.  Then  came  up  through 
the  window,  from  which  the  Bishop  still 


1 66  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

looked  with  a  strange  smile,  the  clatter  of 
a  hundred  feet,  running  to  the  gate  of  the 
Castle.  The  bridge  was  let  down  ;  the  con- 
fused sound  of  many  men  talking,  of  whis- 
pers, of  shouts,  and  of  cries  of  horror, 
mounted  up  through  the  air.  For  the 
Count's  men  in  the  hall  also  had  heard  the 
splash,  and  run  out  to  see  what  it  was, 
and  there  they  beheld  the  body  of  their 
master,  dead  in  the^moat;  their  eyes  were 
wide  open,  and  they  could  hardly  lay  their 
tongues  to  the  words  as  they  pointed  to 
the  body  and  whispered  to  one  another, 
very  low  :  "  The  Bishop  has  killed  him — 
the  Bishop  has  killed  him."  But  the  Bishop 
saw  them  from  the  window,  and  leant  out, 
crying  : 

"Yes,  I  have  killed  him.  So  perish  all 
such  villains  ! " 

When  they  looked  up,  and  saw  in  the 
moonlight  the  Bishop's  face,  they  were 
amazed.  But  he  hastily  drew  his  head  in, 
so  that  they  might  not  see  him  any  more. 
For  he  knew  that  his  face  had  been  fierce, 
and  exultant,  and  joyful.  Then,  dropping 
his  sword,  he  ran  across  to  the  Princess  ; 
he  drew  the  Count's  sword,  which  was  wet 
with  his  own  blood,  out  of  the  door,  releas- 
ing the  Princess's  hair ;  and,  seeing  that 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.      167 

she  was  very  faint,  he  put  his  arm  about 
her,  and  led  hereto  the  couch  ;  she  sank 
upon  it,  trembling  and  white  as  her  white 
gown,  and  murmuring  :  "  Fearful,  fearful !  " 
and  she  clutched  his  arm,  and  for  a  long 
while  she  would  not  let  him  go ;  and  her 
eyes  were  fixed  on  the  Count's  sword  that 
lay  on  the  floor  by  the  entrance  of  the  little 
room. 

"  Courage,  madame,"  said  the  Bishop 
softly.  "  All  danger  is  past.  The  villain  is 
dead,  and  you  are  with  the  most  devoted  of 
your  servants." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  she  said,  and  pressed  his  arm 
and  shivered.  "  Is  he  really  dead  ?" 

"  He  is  dead.  God  have  mercy  on  him," 
said  the  Bishop. 

"  And  you  killed  him?" 

"  I  killed  him.  If  it  were  a  sin,  pray 
God  forgive  me  !  " 

Up  through  the  window  still  came  the 
noise  of  voices  and  the  stir  of  men  moving  ; 
for  they  were  recovering  the  body  of  the 
Count  from  the  moat ;  yet  neither  Osra 
nor  the  Bishop  noticed  any  longer  what  was 
passing ;  he  was  intent  on  her,  and  she 
seemed  hardly  yet  herself ;  but  suddenly, 
before  he  could  interpose,  she  threw  her- 
self off  the  couch  and  on  to  her  knees 


i68  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

in  front  of  him,  and,  seizing  hold  of  his 
hand,  she  kissed  first  the  episcopal  ring 
that  he  wore  and  then  his  hand.  For  he 
was  both  Bishop  and  a  gallant  gentleman, 
and  a  kiss  she  gave  him  for  each  ;  and  after 
she  had  kissed  his  hand,  she  held  it  in  both 
of  hers  as  though  for  safety's  sake  she 
clung  to  it.  But  he  raised  her  hastily,  cry- 
ing to  her  not  to  kneel  before  him,  and, 
throwing  away  his  hat,  he  knelt  before  her, 
kissing  her  hands  many  times.  She  seemed 
now  recovered  from  her  bewilderment  and 
terror  ;  for  as  she  looked  down  on  him 
kneeling,  she  was  half-way  between  tears 
and  smiles,  and  with  curving  lips  but  wet 
shining  eyes,  she  said  very  softly  : 

"Ah,  my  lord,  who  made  a  bishop  of 
you?"  And  her  cheeks  grew  in  an  instant 
from  dead  white  into  sudden  red,  and  her 
hand  moved  over  his  head  as  if  she  would 
fain  have  touched  him  with  it.  And  she 
bent  down  ever  so  little  towards  him.  Yet, 
perhaps,  it  was  nothing  ;  any  lady,  who  had 
seen  how  he  bore  himself,  and  knew  that 
it  was  in  her  cause,  for  her  honour  and  life, 
might  well  have  done  the  same. 

The  Bishop  of  Modenstein  made  no  im- 
mediate answer ;  his  head  was  still  bowed 
over  her  hand,  and  after  a  while  he  kissed 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.       169 

her  hand  again  ;  and  he  felt  her  hand  press 
his.  Then,  suddenly,  as  though  in  alarm, 
she  drew  her  hand  away,  and  he  let  it  go 
easily.  Then  he  raised  his  eyes  and  met 
the  glance  of  hers,  and  he  smiled ;  and 
Osra  also  smiled.  For  an  instant  they 
were  thus.  Then  the  Bishop  rose  to  his 
feet,  and  he  stood  before  her  with  bent 
head  and  eyes  that  sought  the  ground  in 
becoming  humility. 

"  It  is  by  God's  infinite  goodness  and 
divine  permission  that  I  hold  my  sacred 
office."  said  he.  "  I  would  that  I  were 
more  worthy  of  it !  But  to-day  I  have 
taken  pleasure  in  the  killing  of  a  man." 

"And  in  the  saving  of  a  lady,  sir,"  she 
added  softly,  "who  will  ever  count  you 
among  her  dearest  friends  and  the  most 
gallant  of  her  defenders.  Is  God  angry  at 
such  a  deed  as  that  ?  " 

"  May  He  forgive  us  all  our  sins,"  said 
the  Bishop  gravely  ;  but  what  other  sins  he 
had  in  his  mind  he  did  not  say,  nor  did  the 
Princess  ask  him. 

Then  he  gave  her  his  arm,  and  they  two 
walked  together  down  the  stairs  into  the 
hall  ;  the  Bishop,  having  forgotten  both  his 
hat  and  his  sword,  was  bare-headed  and 
had  no  weapon  in  his  hand.  The  Count's 


170  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

men  were  all  collected  in  the  hall,  being 
crowded  round  a  table  that  stood  by  the 
wall ;  for  on  the  table  lay  the  body  of  Count 
Nikolas  of  Festenburg,  and  it  was  covered 
with  a  horse-cloth  that  one  of  the  servants 
had  thrown  over  it.  But  when  the  men 
saw  the  Princess  and  the  Bishop,  they  made 
way  for  them  and  stood  aside,  bowing  low 
as  they  passed. 

"  You  bow  now,"  said  Osra,  "  but,  be- 
fore, none  of  you  would  lift  a  finger  for  me. 
To  my  lord  the  Bishop  alone  do  I  owe  my 
life  ;  and  he  is  a  Churchman,  while  you  were 
free  to  fight  for  me.  For  my  part,  I  do  not 
envy  your  wives  such  husbands  ;  "  and  with 
a  most  scornful  air  she  passed  between 
their  ranks,  taking  great  and  ostentatious 
care  not  to  touch  one  of  them  even  with  the 
hem  of  her  gown.  At  this  they  grew  red 
and  shuffled  on  their  feet ;  and  one  or  two 
swore  under  their  breath,  and  thanked  God 
their  wives  were  not  such  shrews,  being 
indeed  very  much  ashamed  of  themselves, 
and  very  uneasy  at  thinking  what  these 
same  wives  of  theirs  would  say  to  them 
when  the  thing  came  to  be  known.  But 
Osra  and  the  Bishop  passed  over  the 
bridge,  and  he  set  her  on  his  horse  The 
summer  morning  had  just  dawned,  clear  and 


HE  WALKED  WITH    HIS   HEAD   DOWN  AND   HIS   EYES  ON   THE   GROUND."— Page  I? I. 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein*      171 

fair,  so  that  the  sun  caught  her  ruddy  hair 
as  she  mounted  in  her  white  gown.  But 
the  Bishop  took  the  bridle  of  the  horse  and 
led  it  at  a  foot's  pace  down  the  hill  and 
into  the  town. 

Now  by  this  time  the  news  of  what  had 
chanced  had  run  all  through  the  town,  and 
the  people  were  out  in  the  streets,  gossip- 
ing and  guessing.  And  when  they  saw  the 
Princess  Osra  safe  and  sound  and  smiling, 
and  the  Bishop  in  his  shirt — for  he  had 
given  his  cloak  to  her — leading  the  horse, 
they  broke  into  great  cheering.  The  men 
cheered  the  Princess,  while  the  women 
thrust  themselves  to  the  front  rank  of  the 
crowd,  and  blessed  the  Bishop  of  Moden- 
stein.  But  he  walked  with  his  head  down 
and  his  eyes  on  the  ground,  and  would  not 
look  up,  even  when  the  women  cried  out  in 
great  fear  and  admiration  on  seeing  that 
his  shirt  was  stained  with  his  blood  and 
with  the  blood  of  Nikolas  of  Festenburg 
that  had  spurted  out  upon  it.  But  one 
thing  the  Princess  heard,  which  sent  her 
cheeks  red  again  ;  for  a  buxom  girl  glanced 
merrily  at  her,  and  made  bold  to  say  in 
a  tone  that  the  Princess  could  not  but 
hear  : 

"  By    the   Saints,    here's   waste !     If   he 


172  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

were  not  a  Churchman,  now  !  "  And  her 
laughing  eye  travelled  from  the  Princess  to 
him,  and  back  to  the  Princess  again. 

4<  Shall  we  go  a  little  faster?"  whispered 
Osra,  bending  down  to  the  Bishop.  But 
the  girl  only  thought  that  she  whispered 
something  else,  and  laughed  the  more. 

At  last  they  passed  the  town,  and  with 
a  great  crowd  still  following  them,  came 
to  the  Castle.  At  the  gate  of  it  the  Bishop 
stopped  and  aided  the  Princess  to  alight. 
Again  he  knelt  and  kissed  her  hand,  say- 
ing only  : 

"  Madame,  farewell !" 

"  Farewell,  my  lord,"  said  Osra  softly  ; 
and  she  went  hastily  into  the  Castle,  while 
the  Bishop  returned  to  his  inn  in  the  town, 
and  though  the  people  stood  round  the 
inn  the  best  part  of  the  day,  calling  and 
watching  for  him,  he  would  not  shew  him- 
self. 

In  the  evening  of  that  day  the  King, 
having  heard  the  tidings  of  the  crime  of 
Count  Nikolas,  came  in  furious  haste  with 
a  troop  of  horse  from  Strelsau.  And  when 
he  heard  how  Osra  had  played  at  dice  with 
the  Count,  and  staking  herself  against  the 
Castle  of  Zenda  had  won  it  back,  he  was 
ashamed,  and  swore  an  oath  that  he  would 


The  Sin  of  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein.      173 

play  dice  no  more,  which  oath  he  faithfully 
observed.  But  in  the  morning  of  the  next 
day  he  went  to  Festenburg,  where  he 
flogged  soundly  every  man  who  had  not 
run  away  before  his  coming  ;  and  all  the 
possessions  of  Count  Nikolas  he  confis- 
cated, and  he  pulled  down  the  Castle  of 
Festenburg,  and  filled  up  the  moat  that  had 
run  round  its  walls. 

Then  he  sent  for  the  Bishop  of  Moden- 
stein,  and  thanked  him,  offering  to  him  all 
the  demesne  of  Count  Nikolas  ;  but  the 
Bishop  would  not  accept  it,  nor  any  mark 
of  the  King's  favour,  not  even  the  Order  of 
the  Red  Rose.  Therefore  the  King  granted 
the  ground  on  which  the  Castle  stood, 
and  all  the  lands  belonging  to  it,  to  Francis 
of  Tarlenheim,  brother-in-law  to  the  wife  of 
Prince  Henry,  who  built  the  ckdteau  which 
now  stands  there  and  belongs  to  the  same 
family  to  this  day. 

But  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein,  having 
been  entertained  by  the  King  with  great 
splendour  for  two  days,  would  not  stay 
longer,  but  set  out  to  pursue  his  journey, 
clad  now  in  his  ecclesiastical  garments. 
And  Princess  Osra  sat  by  her  window,  lean- 
ing her  head  on  her  hand,  and  watching  him 
till  the  trees  of  the  forest  hid  him  ;  and  once, 


174  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

when  he  was  on  the  edge  of  the  forest, 
he  turned  his  face  for  an  instant,  and 
looked  back  at  her  where  she  sat  watching 
in  the  window.  Thus  he  went  to  Strelsau  ; 
and  when  he  was  come  there,  he  sent  im- 
mediately for  his  confessor,  and  the  con- 
fessor, having  heard  him,  laid  upon  him  a 
severe  penance,  which  he  performed  with 
great  zeal,  exactness,  and  contrition.  But 
whether  the  penance  were  for  killing  Count 
Nikolas  of  Festenburg  (which  in  a  layman, 
at  least,  would  have  seemed  but  a  venial 
sin)  or  for  what  else,  who  shall  say  ? 


CHAPTER  VL 
The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter* 

WHEN  the  twenty-first  birthday  of  the 
Princess  Osra  approached,  her  brother 
King  Rudolf,  desiring  to  make  her  a  pres- 
ent, summoned  from  his  home  at  Verona, 
in  Italy,  a  painter  of  very  high  fame,  by 
name  Giraldo,  and  commanded  him  to  paint 
a  portrait  of  the  Princess,  to  be  her  brother's 
gift  to  her.  This  command  Giraldo  carried 
out,  the  Princess  giving  him  every  oppor- 
tunity of  studying  her  features  and  grudg- 
ing no  time  that  was  spent  by  her  in  front 
of  his  easel ;  and  the  picture,  when  finished, 
being  pronounced  to  be  as  faithful  as 
beautiful  the  reputation  of  Giraldo  was 
greatly  enhanced  by  the  painting  of  it. 
Thus  it  followed  that  in  many  cases,  when 
foreign  Princes  had  heard  the  widespread 
praises  of  Osra's  beauty,  they  sent  orders 
to  Giraldo  to  execute  for  them,  and  despatch 
with  all  speed,  miniatures  or  other  portraits 
of  the  Princess,  that  they  might  judge  for 


176  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

themselves  whether  she  were  in  truth  as 
lovely  as  report  said  ;  and  they  sent  Giraldo 
large  sums  of  money  in  recompense,  adding 
not  seldom  some  further  donation  on  the 
express  term  and  condition  that  Giraldo 
should  observe  absolute  fidelity  in  his 
representation  and  not  permit  himself  the 
least  flattery.  For  some  desired  them- 
selves to  court  her,  and  others  intended 
their  sons  to  ask  her  hand,  if  the  evidence 
of  Giraldo's  portraits  satisfied  their  hopes. 
So  Giraldo,  although  but  two  or  three 
years  above  thirty,  grew  in  both  fame  and 
wealth,  and  was  very  often  indebted  to  the 
Princess  for  the  favour  of  a  visit  to  his 
house,  that  he  might  again  correct  his 
memory  of  her  face. 

Now  what  several  Princes  had  done  be- 
fore, it  chanced  that  the  King  of  Glotten- 
berg  also  did  ;  and  Giraldo,  to  all  appear- 
ance much  pleased,  accepted  the  command, 
and  prayed  the  Princess  to  visit  him  ;  for, 
he  said,  this  picture  was  to  be  larger  and 
more  elaborate  than  the  rest,  and  therefore 
needed  more  study  of  her.  So  the  Princess 
went  many  times,  and  the  portrait  destined 
for  the  King  of  Glottenberg  (who  was  said 
to  be  seeking  a  suitable  alliance  for  his 
eldest  son)  grew  before  her  eyes  into  the 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter.        177 

most  perfect  and  beautiful  presentment  of 
her  which  the  skill  of  Giraldo  had  ever 
accomplished,  surpassing  even  that  first  pic- 
ture which  he  had  painted  by  King  Rudolfs 
command.  The  King  made  no  doubt  that, 
so  soon  as  the  picture  had  reached  the  Court 
of  Glottenberg,  an  embassy  would  come 
from  there  to  demand  the  hand  of  his 
sister  for  the  Crown  Prince,  a  proposal 
which  he  would  have  received  with  much 
pleasure  and  gratification. 

"  I  do  not  think,"  said  Osra,  tossing  her 
head,  "  that  any  such  embassy  will  come, 
sire.  For  four  or  five  pictures  have  been  al- 
ready painted  by  Signor  Giraldo  in  like  man- 
ner, but  no  embassies  have  come.  It  seems 
that  my  poor  features  do  not  find  approval 
in  the  Courts  of  Europe." 

Her  tone,  it  must  be  confessed,  was  full 
of  contempt.  For  the  Princess  Osra  knew 
that  she  was  beautiful,  as  indeed  all  beauti- 
ful ladies  are,  by  the  benevolence  of 
heaven,  permitted  to  know.  How  much 
greater  mischief  might  they  work,  if  such 
knowledge  were  denied  them  ! 

"  That's  true  enough,"  cried  Rudolf. 
"  And  I  do  not  understand  the  meaning  of  it. 
But  it  will  not  be  so  at  Glottenberg.  For 
my  good  brother  the  King  has  eyes  in  his 


1 78  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

head,  and  his  son  sees  no  less  well.  I  met 
them  on  my  travels,  and  I  can  speak  to 
it.  Most  certainly  an  embassy  will  come 
from  Glottenberg  before  we  are  a  month 
older!" 

Yet,  strange  to  say,  the  same  thing  fol- 
lowed on  the  despatch  of  the  portrait 
(which  Giraldo  sent  by  a  certain  trusty 
messenger,  whom  he  was  accustomed  to 
employ)  as  had  happened  before  ;  no  em- 
bassy came,  and  the  King  of  Glottenberg 
excused  himself  from  paying  a  visit  to  Strel- 
sau,  which  he  and  his  son  had  promised  on 
the  invitation  of  King  Rudolf.  Therefore 
Rudolf  was  very  vexed,  and  Osra  also, 
thinking  herself  scorned,  was  very  sore  at 
heart,  although  she  bore  herself  more 
proudly  than  before.  But,  being  very 
greatly  disturbed  in  her  mind  concerning 
her  beauty,  she  went  herself  again  to 
Giraldo  and  charged  him  to  paint  her  once 
more. 

"This  picture,"  she  said,  "is  for  my  own 
eyes,  and  mine  alone.  Therefore,  signer, 
paint  it  faithfully,  and  spare  me  not.  For 
if  a  woman  be  ugly,  it  is  well  she  should 
know  it,  and  it  seems  that  nobody  in  the 
kingdom  will  tell  me  the  truth,  although  I 
get  hints  enough  of  it  from  abroad,"  And 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter*        179 

she  frowned  and  flushed  and  was  very  sadly 
out  of  temper,  as  any  beautiful  lady  would 
most  naturally  be  in  such  a  case. 

Giraldo  bowed  very  low,  seeking  to  hide 
the  sudden  red  that  dyed  his  cheek,  and  to 
conceal  the  great  joy  which  the  command 
of  the  Princess  gave  him.  For  by  reason 
of  having  painted  the  Princess  so  often,  of 
having  studied  her  face  so  curiously,  and  of 
having  spent  so  much  time  in  her  company, 
listening  to  her  conversation,  and  enjoying 
her  wit  and  grace,  this  hapless  young  man 
had  become  so  deeply  and  desperately  her 
lover,  that  he  no  longer  cared  to  use  his 
brush  in  the  service  of  any  other  lady  or 
lord,  but  stayed  at  Strelsau  solely  that  he 
might  again  and  again  depict  the  face  that 
he  loved  ;  and,  save  when  she  sat  before 
him,  he  seemed  now  unable  to  ply  his  art  at 
all,  and  had  he  not  received  so  many  com- 
mands for  pictures  of  her,  he  would  have  sat 
all  day  long  idle,  thinking  of  her;  which, 
indeed,  was  what  he  did  in  the  intervals 
between  his  labour  on  her  portraits.  But 
she,  not  imagining  such  presumption  and 
folly  on  his  part,  thought  that  he  was  glad 
merely  because  she  would  pay  him  well  ; 
so  she  promised  him  more  and  more,  if  he 
would  but  paint  her  faithfully.  And  he  gave 


180  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

her  his  word  that  he  would  paint  her  in 
every  respect  most  faithfully. 

"  I  desire  to  know,"  said  she,  "what  I 
am  in  truth  like  ;  for  my  mirror  says  one 
thing,  and  the  King  of  Glottenberg ' 

But  here  she  stopped,  remembering  that 
such  matters  were  not  fit  for  Giraldo's  ears. 
Yet  he  must  have  understood,  for  a  strange, 
cunning,  exultant  smile  came  on  his  lips  as 
he  turned  away  and  set  himself  to  mix 
the  colours  on  his  palette.  Thus  he  began 
this  last  picture  and  the  Princess  came 
every  day  and  stayed  long,  so  that  Gir- 
aldo  might  be  able  to  render  her  likeness 
in  every  most  minute  respect  with  perfect 
fidelity. 

"For,"  she  thought  resentfully,  "  either 
I  have  no  eyes,  or  they  have  none  in  Glot- 
tenberg." 

When  she  had  been  visiting  Giraldo  thus 
for  hard  on  a  month,  and  the  picture  was 
nearly  finished,  and  was  at  once  the  most 
lovely  and  the  most  faithful  of  all  that 
Giraldo  had  painted,  it  chanced  that  letters 
came  to  the  King  from  a  nobleman  of 
France  who  was  well  known  to  him,  and 
had  known  the  Princess  well  also,  the  Mar- 
quis de  Merosailles.  And  the  Marquis 
wrote  to  the  King  in  the  greatest  indigna- 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter.        181 

tion   and  scorn,  upbraiding  the   King  and 
saying  : 

"  What  is  this,  sire  ?  Do  you  keep  a 
madman  at  your  Court,  and  call  him  a 
painter  ?  I  have  been  at  Glottenberg  ;  and 
when  I  spoke  there,  as  it  is  my  humble 
duty  and  true  delight  to  speak  every- 
where, of  the  incomparable  beauty  of  your 
Majesty's  sister  the  Princess  Osra,  the 
King,  his  son,  and  all  the  company,  did 
nothing  but  laugh.  I  fought  three  duels 
with  gentlemen  of  the  Court  on  this  ac- 
count, and  two  of  them  I,  heaven  helping 
me,  wounded,  and  one,  by  some  devil's 
trick,  wounded  me.  After  this,  the  matter 
coming  to  the  King's  ear,  he  sent  for  me, 
and  excused  the  laughter  by  showing  me  a 
picture  done  by  a  rascal  called  Giraldo  at 
your  Court,  the  picture  was  named  after 
your  Majesty's  most  matchless  sister ;  but, 
as  I  am  a  true  son  of  the  Church,  it  was 
like  the  devil's  daughter,  and,  on  my 
honour  and  conscience,  it  squinted  most 
villainously.  I  pray  you,  sire,  find  out 
the  meaning  of  this  thing ;  and  receive 
most  humble  duty  and  homage  from  your 
devoted  sj^arjt,  and,  since  your  gracious- 
ness  so  wills  it,  most  obftged  and  obedient 
friend,  Henri  Marquis  de  Merosailles.  I 
kiss  the  hand  of  the  Princess." 


1 82  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

When  King  Rudolf  had  read  this  letter, 
he  grew  very  thoughtful,  and,  unknown  to 
Giraldo,  he  sent  and  caught  the  messenger 
whom  Giraldo  was  wont  to  entrust  with  the 
pictures,  and  who  carried  the  picture  of 
which  M.  de  Merosailles  wrote  to  Glotten- 
berg ;  and  the  King  interrogated  the  messen- 
ger most  closely,  but  got  nothing  from 
him,  save  that  he  himself  never  beheld  the 
pictures  which  he  carried,  but  received 
them  most  carefully  packed  from  Giraldo, 
and  so  delivered  them  without  undoing  the 
coverings,  and  then  by  Giraldo's  strict 
orders  returned  at  once,  and  did  not  wait 
until  the  recipient  had  inspected  the  picture. 
So  that  the  fellow  did  not  know  anything 
about  the  picture  that  had  gone  to  Glotten- 
berg,  except  that  it  was  certainly  the  same 
as  Giraldo  had  entrusted  to  his  hands. 
But  the  King  was  not  satisfied,  and,  learn- 
ing that  his  sister  was  at  that  moment  at 
Giraldo's  house,  being  painted  afresh  by 
him,  he  called  half-a-dozen  of  his  gentle- 
men, and  set  out  on  horseback  for  the  place 
where  Giraldo  lived  in  the  street  that  runs 
from  the  Cathedral  towards  the  western 
gate  of  Strelsau.  To  this  day  the  house 
stands  there. 

The   Princess  sat  and   Giraldo  painted. 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter*        183 

Behind  the  Princess  was  a  window,  looking 
on  to  the  street,  and  behind  Giraldo  was  a 
second  door,  which  led  into  an  inner  room. 
On  Giraldo's  easel  stood  the  nearly  finished 
picture  ;  Giraldo's  eyes  were  alight  both 
with  love  and  with  triumph,  as  he  turned 
from  the  Princess  to  the  picture,  and  from 
the  picture  to  the  Princess  again  ;  and  she, 
seeing  something  of  his  admiration,  said 
with  a  blush : 

"Is  it  indeed  faithful,  signer?"  For  it 
seemed  even  to  herself  a  marvellously  lovely 
picture. 

"  No,  madame,"  answered  he.  "  For  my 
imperfect  hand  cannot  be  faithful  to  per- 
fection." 

"  I  pray  you,  do  not  flatter  me.  Have 
you  indeed  shewn  every  fault  of  my  face  ?  " 

"  If  there  be  a  fault  in  your  face, 
madame,  there  it  is  also  in  my  picture,"  said 
Giraldo. 

The  Princess  was  silent  for  a  moment, 
then  she  said  : 

"  It  is  better,  is  it  not,  than  the  picture 
you  painted  for  the  King  of  Glotten- 
berg?" 

Giraldo  painted  a  stroke  or  two  before  he 
answered  carelessly  : 

"  Indeed,   madame,    it   is   more    faithful 


184  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

than  that  which  the  King  of  Glottenberg 
has." 

"  Then  less  beautiful  ?  "  asked  Osra  with 
a  petulant  smile. 

"  Nay,  I  do  not  say  that ;  not  less  beauti- 
ful," he  answered. 

"  Perhaps  he  would  like  this  one  better, 
and  give  me  his  in  exchange  ;  for  I  never 
saw  his  after  it  was  finished.  I  think  I  will 
ask  the  King  to  write  to  him." 

Giraldo  had  turned  round  suddenly  as  the 
Princess  made  this  suggestion  ;  she  had 
spoken  half  in  sport,  half  in  continuing 
chagrin  at  the  blindness  shewn  by  the  Court 
of  Glottenberg.  Now  he  stood  staring  at 
her  with  wide-open  alarmed  eyes ;  and  he 
dropped  his  brushes  on  to  the  floor. 

"  What  ails  you,  signor  ?  "  she  cried.  "  I 
did  but  suggest  exchanging  the  pictures." 

He  tried  to  regain  his  composure,  as  he 
stooped  to  pick  up  his  brushes. 

"  The  King  of  Glottenberg's  picture  is 
the  best  for  him  to  have,"  said  he  sullenly. 
'  This  one,  madame,  I  painted  for  you 
yourself,  and  for  you  alone." 

"  I  pay  the  price  and  can  do  what  I  will 
with  the  picture,"  returned  the  Princess 
haughtily.  "  If  I  desire,  I  will  give  it  to 
the  King  of  Glottenberg." 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter.        185 

Giraldo  had  now  turned  very  pale,  and, 
forgetful  of  the  picture,  stood  gazing  fixedly 
at  the  Princess.  For  he  could  no  longer 
hold  down  in  secrecy  and  silence  the  passion 
that  possessed  him,  but  it  was  declared  in 
his  eyes  and  in  the  trembling  of  his  limbs  ; 
so  that  the  Princess  rose  from  her  chair 
and  shrank  away  from  him  in  alarm,  re- 
gretting that  she  had  dismissed  her  ladies, 
in  order  to  be  less  restrained  in  talk  with 
the  painter ;  and  she  tried  to  cry  out,  that 
they  might  hear  her  where  they  were  in  an 
adjoining  room,  but  her  cry  froze  on  her 
lips  at  the  sight  of  Giraldo's  passion.  And 
he  cried  in  a  hoarse  whisper: 

"  He  shall  not  have  the  picture,  he  shall 
not  have  it ! "  As  he  spoke  he  moved 
nearer  to  the  Princess,  who  still  shrank 
away  from  him,  being  now  in  very  great 
alarm,  and  thinking  that  surely  he  had  run 
mad.  Yet  she  looked  at  him,  and,  looking, 
saw  whence  his  madness  came  ;  and  she 
felt  pity  for  him,  and  held  out  her  clasped 
hands  towards  him,  saying  in  a  very  soft 
voice,  and  with  eyes  that  grew  sad  and 
tender : 

"  Ah,  signor,  signor,  am  I  always  to 
have  lovers,  and  never  a  friend  ? " 

At  this  the  unfortunate  painter  was  over- 


1 86  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

come,  and  dropping  his  head  between  his 
hands  he  gave  a  deep  half-stifled  sob,  and 
then  he  cried : 

"  God's  curse  on  me,  for  having  slan- 
dered the  beauty  that  I  love  !  "  And  then 
he  sobbed  again. 

But  the  Princess  wondered  greatly  what 
he  meant  by  his  strange  cry,  and  turned 
her  eyes  again  on  him  in  bewildered  ques- 
tioning ;  saying,  as  she  pointed  to  the 
picture : 

"  There  is  no  slander  here,  signor,  unless 
too  much  praise  be  slander." 

Giraldo  made  her  no  answer  in  words,  but, 
springing  towards  her,  caught  her  .by  the 
wrist,  and  drew  her  across  the  room  to  the 
door  behind  his  easel.  With  feverish  haste 
he  unlocked  it  and  passed  through.  The 
Princess,  although  now  free  from  his  grip, 
followed  him  in  a  strange  fascination. 
Giraldo  drew  the  door  close  behind  him  ; 
and  at  that  moment  the  Princess  gave  a  cry, 
half  a  scream,  half  laughter.  For  facing 
her  she  saw,  each  on  its  easel,  three,  four, 
five,  six  pictures  of  herself,  each  beautiful 
and  painted  most  lovingly ;  and  the  last  of 
the  six  was  the  picture  that  had  been 
painted  by  order  of  the  King  of  Glotten- 
berg.  For  she  knew  it  by  the  attire, 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter.        187 

although  the  face  had  not  been  finished 
when  she  had  last  seen  it.  A  sudden  en- 
lightenment pierced  her  mind,  and  she  knew 
that  Giraldo  had  not  sent  the  pictures  for 
which  she  had  sat  to  him,  but  kept  them 
himself,  and  sent  others  to  his  patrons. 
This  strange  conviction  found  its  sure  con- 
firmation in  a  seventh  easel  which  stood 
apart  from  the  rest,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
room ;  for  it  supported  what  was  in  all 
respects  a  copy  of  the  portrait  on  which 
Giraldo  was  now  engaged,  save  that  by 
cunning  touches  he  had  imparted  to  the 
face  an  alien  and  fearful  aspect ;  for  here, 
although  the  features  had  their  shape  and 
perfect  grace,  yet  it  was  the  face  of  a  devil 
that  looked  out  of  the  canvas,  a  face  that  a 
man  would  not  have  gazing  at  him  from  the 
wall  on  to  the  bed  where  he  sought  to  sleep. 

But  when  Giraldo  saw  her  eyes  fixed  on 
this  picture,  he  cried  : 

"  That  is  for  you — the  other  is  mine. 
Are  they  not  your  features  ?  The  King  of 
Glottenberg  should  not  have  even  your 
features.  But  you  shall  have  them,  and  if  a 
devil  looks  out  through  such  a  fair  mask,  is 
it  not  so  with  all  fair  women  that  lead  men 
to  destruction  ?  There  is  your  true  picture, 
Princess  Osra  !  "  And  he  flung  himself  on 


1 88  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

a  couch  with  a  mad  cry  of  rage,  and  then  a 
groan  of  despair. 

The  Princess  Osra  looked  at  him,  and  at 
the  beautiful  pictures,  and  then  at  the  pic- 
ture that  was  like  her  and  yet  like  a  devil. 
First  she  pitied  the  painter,  and  then  mar- 
velled at  the  wonderful  mad  skill,  which  so 
transformed  her  without  drawing  a  line  that 
could  be  called  untrue.  Thus  thinking,  she 
stood  for  a  while,  grave  and  puzzled.  But 
then  the  humour  struck  her,  as  it  struck 
her  House  always  in  great  things  and  in 
small ;  it  seemed  to  her  most  ludicrous  that 
the  pictures  should  all  be  resting  here  in 
Giraldo's  house,  while  the  Princes  who 
had  commanded  portraits  of  her  had  re- 
ceived nothing  but  distorted  parodies  of  her 
face,  to  the  end  that  they  might  be  dis- 
gusted and,  abandoning  the  alliance  they 
had  projected,  leave  her  still  at  Strelsau,  to 
be  painted  times  out  of  number  and  most 
fruitlessly  by  this  mad  painter.  And  these 
thoughts  gaining  the  mastery  over  the 
others,  in  spite  of  the  sad  plight  of  unhappy 
Signor  Giraldo,  her  lips  curved  into  a  bow, 
her  eyes  gleamed  in  dancing  merriment, 
and  a  moment  later  she  broke  into  a  glad 
gleeful  laugh,  that  rose  and  rippled,  and  fell 
to  soft  delighted  murmurings.  As  she 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter.        189 

looked  again  at  the  picture  that  was  like  her 
and  also  like  a  devil,  her  mirth  grew  and 
grew  at  the  ingenuity  of  the  work  and  the 
mocking  devilry  so  cunningly  made  out  of 
her  face.  Small  wonder  was  it  to  her  now 
that  the  embassies  had  not  come. 

The  Princess  Osra  thus  stood  laughing, 
and  presently  Signor  Giraldo  looked  up. 
When  he  had  listened  and  looked  for  a  few 
moments,  his  wild  mood  caught  the  infec- 
tion from  her,  so  that,  springing  to  his  feet, 
he  also  began  to  laugh  loudly,  like  a  man 
who  cannot  restrain  his  amusement,  but  is 
carried  away  by  it  beyond  all  bounds  and 
restraints.  Thus  Giraldo  laughed  loudly, 
long,  and  fiercely  ;  for  there  was  madness 
in  his  laugh.  And  the  Princess  heard  the 
madness  ;  even  while  she  still  laughed,  her 
eyes  opened  in  wonder ;  alarm  came  on  her 
face,  her  merry  laugh  quivered,  trembled, 
choked  in  her  throat,  and  at  last  died  away 
into  dumbness ;  yet  her  lips  hung  apart 
frozen  in  the  shape  of  laughter,  while  no 
laughter  came.  But  as  her  laugh  thus 
ended  in  mute  horror,  his  grew  louder  yet 
and  wilder,  and  its  peal  rang  through  the 
room,  as  he  gasped  between  his  spasms  of 
horrid  mirth,  "  You,  you,  you  ! "  and  pointed 
at  the  picture  which  he  had  touched  to  devil- 


190  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

ishness.  But  she  shrank  away,  and  stood 
crouched  against  the  wall ;  for  she  knew 
now  that  he  was  mad,  but  did  not  know  to 
what  his  fury  might  next  lead  him.  Then 
he  caught  up  a  knife  that  lay  on  the  sill  of 
the  window,  and,  now  smiling  as  though  in 
grim  quiet  amusement,  strode  across  to  the 
row  of  pictures,  and  reached  up  to  them, 
knife  in  hand.  But  Osra  suddenly  sprang 
forward,  crying  : 

"  Do  not  hurt  them." 

"  These  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  to  her  with 
a  sneer.  " These?  I'll  destroy  them  all, 
for  they  are  no  longer  beautiful  to  me,  but 
that  one  only  is  beautiful,  because  it  is 
true."  And  he  wrenched  his  arm  away 
from  the  detaining  hand  she  had  laid  upon 
it.  Falling  back  in  terror,  she  watched  him 
cutting  and  slashing  each  of  the  pictures, 
until  the  face  was  utterly  destroyed.  And 
she  feared  that  when  he  had  finished  with 
the  pictures,  he  would  turn  upon  her  ;  there- 
fore she  flung  herself  on  the  couch,  hiding 
her  face  for  fear  of  some  horrible  fate ; 
she  murmured  low  to  herself,  "  Not  my 
face,  O  God,  not  my  face  !  "  and  she  pressed 
her  face  down  into  the  cushions  of  the 
couch,  while  he,  muttering  and  grumbling 
to  himself,  cut  the  pictures  into  strips  and 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter*       191 

ribbons,  and  strewed  the  fragments  at  his 
feet  on  the  floor.  This  done,  he  turned  to 
the  devil's  face  that  he  loved,  and  poured  out 
to  it,  as  though  it  had  been  a  cruel  idol  he 
worshipped,  a  flood  of  wild  passionate  re- 
proachful words,  that  Osra  shivered  to  hear, 
and  the  purport  of  which  she  dared  tell 
none,  though  for  all  her  prayers  she  could 
not  herself  forget  one  of  them. 

At  last  he  came  to  her  again,  and  plucked 
her  roughly  and  rudely  from  the  couch 
where  she  lay,  and  dragged  her  behind  him 
back  to  the  door  again  and  through  it  ;  and 
they  stood  together  in  front  of  the  last  pic- 
ture, whose  paint  was  still  wet  from  his 
hand.  The  painted  face  smiled  down  on 
the  trembling  pale  girl  with  its  smile  of 
careless  serene  dignity,  so  that  now  even 
to  herself  it  seemed  hardly  to  be  her  pic- 
ture. For  it  was  the  true  presentment  of 
a  King's  daughter,  and  she  no  better  than 
a  helpless  frightened  girl.  It  seemed  to 
reproach  her  ;  and  suddenly  she  drew  herself 
to  her  height,  and  turned  on  Giraldo,  say- 
ing:  "You  shall  not  touch  it." 

She  stept  forward,  so  that  she  stood  be- 
tween him  and  the  picture,  raising  her  hand, 
and  forbidding  him  to  approach  it  with  his 
knife.  And  now  the  picture  seemed  more 


192  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

to  be  hers,  although   while    it   smiled  she 
frowned. 

But  at  this  moment  there  came  through 
the  window  that  opened  on  the  street  the 
clatter  of  horses'  hoofs.  At  the  sound 
Giraldo  arrested  the  motion  that  he  had 
already  made  to  fling  himself  on  the  Prin- 
cess ;  whether  to  kill  her,  or  only  to  thrust 
her  away  from  in  front  of  the  picture  she 
did  not  know.  Running  to  the  window,  he 
looked  out,  and  called  in  seeming  glee  :  "  It 
is  the  King  come  to  see  my  pictures ! " 
And  he  looked  proud  and  happy.  Going 
to  the  door  of  the  room,  he  flung  it  open, 
and  stood  there  waiting  for  the  King  and 
the  gentlemen  who  attended  the  King. 
They  were  not  long  in  coming,  for  Rudolf 
was  full  of  anger,  impatience,  and  curiosity, 
and  ran  swiftly  up  the  staircase.  His  gen- 
tlemen pressed  into  the  room  behind  him, 
and  Giraldo  drew  back,  keeping  his  face  to 
the  King  and  bowing  again  and  again.  But 
the  King  and  the  rest  saw  the  knife  in  his 
hand  ;  and  ragged  strips  of  painted  canvas 
hung  here  and  there  on  his  clothes,  while 
the  Princess,  pale  and  proud,  stood  guard- 
ing the  picture  on  the  easel.  The  King,  in 
spite  of  his  wonder,  was  not  turned  from 
the  purpose  which  had  brought  him  to  the 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter.       193 

painter's  house,  but  with  a  quick  step 
darted  up  to  Giraldo  and  thrust  the  letter 
of  the  Marquis  de  Merosailles  into  his  hand, 
bidding  him  in  a  sharp  peremptory  tone  to 
read  it  and  give  what  explanation  he  could 
of  the  contents.  Giraldo  fell  to  reading  it, 
while  the  King  turned  to  his  sister  in  order 
to  ask  her  why  she  seemed  agitated,  and 
stood  so  obstinately  in  front  of  her  own 
picture ;  but  at  that  instant  one  of  the  gen- 
tlemen, whose  name  was  Ladislas,  gave  a  cry 
of  surprise ;  for  he  had  looked  through  the 
door  into  the  inner  room,  and  seen  the 
havoc  and  destruction  that  Giraldo  had 
made,  and  also  the  strange  and  terrible 
picture  which  alone  had  escaped  the  knife. 
The  King,  wondering,  followed  Ladislas  to 
the  threshold  of  the  inner  room  and  passed 
it,  while  his  gentlemen,  full  of  curiosity, 
crowded  close  on  his  heels  after  him. 

The  Princess  Osra,  thinking  herself  safe, 
found  her  anger  and  terror  pass  away  as 
her  mirth  had  passed  before.  Now  she  felt 
in  her  heart  that  pity  which  borders  on 
tenderness,  and  which  she  could  never  re- 
fuse to  a  man  who  loved  her,  let  the  folly 
of  his  love  and  of  the  extravagances  into 
which  it  drove  him  be  as  great  as  it  would. 
Turning  towards  Giraldo,  she  saw  him  fret- 


194  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

ting  his  puckered  brow  with  his  hand,  and 
vainly  seeking  to  compel  his  disordered 
brain  to  understand  M.  de  Merosailles'  let- 
ter. So  she  was  very  sorry  for  him,  and, 
knowing  the  sudden  hot  temper  to  which  the 
careless  King  was  subject,  she  glided  swiftly 
across  to  the  painter,  and  whispered:  "  Es- 
cape and  hide.  Hide  for  a  few  days.  He 
will  be  furious  now,  but  he  will  soon  for- 

§et.  Don't  wait  now,  but  escape,  signor. 
ome  harm  will  happen  to  you  here  ;  "  and 
in  her  eager  pleading  with  him  she  laid 
her  hand  on  his  arm,  and  looked  up  in  his 
face  with  imploring  eyes.  But  he  looked 
at  her  with  dazed  vacant  stare,  muttering, 
"  I  cannot  read  the  letter ;  "  then  a  wistful 
smile  came  on  his  face,  and  he  thrust  the 
letter  towards  her,  saying:  "Madame,  will 
you  read  it  for  me  ?  "  And  at  that  moment 
they  heard  the  King  swear  an  angry  oath  ; 
for  he  had  seen  the  mad  picture  of  his 
sister. 

"  No,  no,  not  now,"  whispered  Osra,  be- 
seeching Giraldo.  "  Not  now,  signor. 
Listen,  the  King  is  angry  !  Escape  now, 
and  we  will  read  the  letter  afterwards." 
She  was  as  earnest  as  though  she  had 
loved  him  and  were  praying  him  to  save 
himself  for  the  sake  of  her  love. 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter*       195 

Giraldo  looked  into  her  softened  eyes  ; 
suddenly  giving  a  little  cry,  as  if  a  great 
joy  had  come  to  him  unexpectedly  and 
contrary  to  all  likelihood,  he  dropped  M.  de 
Merosailles'  letter,  and  sprang  to  where  his 
brushes  lay  on  the  floor ;  seizing  them  and 
his  palette,  he  gave  another  swift  glance  at 
the  Princess,  and  then,  turning  to  the  pic- 
ture, began  to  paint  with  marvellous  dexter- 
ity and  deftness  and  with  the  sudden  confi- 
dence of  a  man  inspired  to  the  work.  As 
he  worked,  his  brow  grew  smoother,  the 
tension  of  his  strained  face  relaxed,  happi- 
ness dawned  in  his  eyes,  and  a  smile  broke 
on  his  lips  ;  and  Osra  watched  him  with  a 
tender  sorrowful  gaze.  Still  he  painted,  and 
he  was  painting  when  the  King  burst  in 
from  the  other  room  in  a  great  rage, 
carrying  his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand  ;  for 
he  had  sworn  by  Our  Lady  and  St.  Peter  to 
kill  the  rogue  who  had  done  the  Princess 
such  wrong  and  so  slandered  her  beauty. 
And  his  gentlemen  came  in  with  him,  all 
very  ready  to  see  Giraldo  killed,  but  each 
eager  that  the  King  should  leave  the  task 
to  him.  Yet  when  they  entered  and  saw 
Giraldo  painting  as  though  he  were  rapt  by 
some  ecstasy  and  had  forgotten  all  that  had 
passed,  nay,  even  their  very  presence,  they 


196  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

paused  in  unwilling  and  constrained  hesita- 
tion. Osra  raised  her  hand  to  bid  them 
stay  still  where  they  were,  and  not  interfere 
with  Giraldo's  painting.  For  now  she  de- 
sired above  all  things  on  earth  that  he 
should  be  left  to  finish  his  task.  For  he 
thought  that  he  had  read  more  than  pity 
and  more  than  tenderness  in  Osra's  eyes  ; 
he  had  seemed  to  see  love  there,  and  thus 
he  had  cried  out  in  joy,  and  thus  he  was 
now  painting  as  never  had  even  he,  for  all 
his  skill,  painted  before.  His  unerring 
hand,  moving  lightly  to  and  fro,  imparted 
the  sweetness  of  his  delusive  vision  to  the 
canvas,  so  that  the  eyes  of  the  portrait 
glowed  with  wonderful  and  beautiful  love 
and  gentleness.  Presently  Giraldo  began 
to  sing  very  softly  to  himself  a  sweet  happy 
old  song,  that  peasants  sang  to  peasant 
girls  in  the  fields  outside  his  native  Verona 
on  summer  evenings.  His  head  was  thrown 
back  in  triumph  and  exultation  as  he  sang 
and  worked,  tasting  the  luxury  of  love,  and 
glorying  in  the  tribute  that  his  genius  paid 
to  her  whom  he  loved.  Thus  came  a  mo- 
ment of  great  joy  to  the  soul  of  Giraldo 
the  painter  ;  for  a  man's  love  and  a  man's 
work  are,  when  they  seem  to  prosper,  of  all 
things  the  sweetest,  and  their  union  in  one 
his  life's  consummation. 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter.        197 

It  was  done.  He  laid  down  the  brush, 
and  drew  back  a  step,  looking  at  what  he 
had  done.  The  Princess  came  softly  and 
slowly,  as  though  attracted  against  her  will, 
and  she  stood  by  him  ;  for  she  saw  that  this 
picture  was  now,  beyond  all  compare,  the 
most  perfect  and  beautiful  of  all  that  he  or 
any  other  man  had  painted  of  her ;  and  she 
loved  him  for  thus  glorifying  her.  But,  be- 
fore many  moments  had  gone  by,  a  sudden 
start  and  shiver  ran  through  Giraldo's 
body.  The  spell  of  his  entranced  ecstasy 
broke  ;  his  eyes  fell  from  the  masterpiece 
that  he  had  made,  and  wandered  to  those 
who  stood  about  him — to  the  gentlemen 
who  did  not  know  whether  to  wonder  or  to 
laugh,  to  the  angry  face  of  the  King  and 
the  naked  sword  in  his  hand,  at  last  to 
Osra,  whose  eyes  were  still  on  the  picture. 
His  exultation  vanished,  and  with  it  went, 
as  it  seemed  to  them,  his  madness.  Reason 
dawned  for  a  moment  in  his  eyes,  but  was 
quenched  in  an  instant  by  shame  and  de- 
spair. For  he  knew  that  all  there  had  seen 
that  other  picture  and  knew  now  what  he 
had  done  ;  and  suddenly  with  a  stifled  cry 
he  flung  himself  full  length  on  the  floor  at 
Osra's  feet. 

"  Let   us  wait,"  said   she  gently.     "  He 
will  be  himself  again  soon." 


198  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

But  the  King  was  too  angry  to  listen. 

"  He  has  made  us  fools  before  half 
Europe,"  he  cried  angrily,  "  and  he  shall 
not  live  to  talk  of  it.  And  you — have  you 
seen  the  picture  yonder?" 

"Yes,  I  have  seen  it,"  said  she.  "  But  he 
does  not  now  think  that  picture  like  me,  but 
this  one."  And  she  turned  to  the  gentle- 
men, and  desired  them  to  raise  Giraldo  and 
lay  him  on  a  couch,  and  they  obeyed.  Then 
she  knelt  by  his  head  ;  and,  after  a  while  he 
opened  his  eyes,  seeming  sound  of  sense  in 
everything  except  that  he  believed  she 
loved  him,  so  that  he  began  to  whisper  to 
her  as  lovers  whisper  to  their  loves,  very 
tenderly  and  low.  And  the  King,  with 
his  gentlemen,  stood  a  little  way  off.  But 
the  Princess  said  nothing  to  Giraldo,  neither 
refusing  his  love,  nor  yet  saying  what  was 
false  ;  yet  she  suffered  him  to  talk  to  her, 
and  to  reach  up  his  hand  and  gently  touch 
a  lock  of  hair  that  strayed  on  her  forehead. 
And  he,  sighing  in  utter  happiness  and  con- 
tentment, closed  his  eyes  again,  and  lay 
back  very  quietly  on  the  couch. 

"  Let  us  go,"  said  she  rising.  "  I  will 
send  a  physician."  And  she  bade  one  of 
the  gentlemen  lock  the  inner  room,  and  give 
her  the  key,  and  she  and  the  King  and 


The  Device  of  Giraldo  the  Painter*        199 

they  all  then  departed,  and  sent  his  ser- 
vants to  tend  Giraldo  ;  and  Osra  caused  the 
King's  physician  also  to  be  summoned. 
But  Giraldo  did  no  more  than  linger  some 
few  days  alive  ;  for  the  most  of  them  he 
was  in  a  high  fever,  his  brain  being  wild ; 
and  he  raved  about  the  Princess,  sometimes 
railing  at  her,  sometimes  praising  her ;  yet 
once  or  twice  he  awoke,  calm  and  happy  as 
he  had  been  when  she  knelt  by  him,  and 
having  for  his  only  delusion  the  thought 
that  she  still  knelt  there  and  was  breathing 
words  of  love  into  his  ear.  And  in  this  last 
merciful  error,  in  respect  of  which  the 
physicians  humoured  him,  one  day  a  week 
later,  he  passed  away  and  was  at  peace. 

Then  the  Princess  came,  attended  by  one 
gentleman  in  whom  she  placed  confidence, 
and  she  destroyed  the  evil  picture  that 
Giraldo  had  painted,  and  having  caused  a 
fire  to  be  made,  burnt  up  the  pieces  of  it,  and 
all  the  ruins  of  the  pictures  that  Giraldo  had 
destroyed.  But  that  on  which  he  had  last 
worked  so  happily,  and  with  such  a  triumph 
of  art,  she  carried  with  her  to  the  palace  ; 
and  presently  she  caused  copies  to  be  made 
of  it,  and  sent  one  to  each  of  the  Princes  by 
whom  Giraldo  had  been  commanded  to 
paint  her  picture,  and  with  it  the  money  he 


2OO 


The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 


had  received,  the  whole  of  which  was  found 
untouched  in  a  cabinet  in  his  house.  But 
the  picture  itself  she  hung  in  her  own 
chamber,  and  would  often  look  at  it,  feel- 
ing great  sorrow  for  the  fate  of  Giraldo  the 
painter. 

Yet  King  Rudolf  could  not  be  prevailed 
upon  to  pity  the  young  man,  saying  that  for 
his  part  he  should  have  to  be  mad  before 
the  love  of  a  woman  should  drive  him  mad ; 
and  he  cursed  Giraldo  for  an  insolent  knave, 
declaring  that  he  did  well  to  die  of  his  own 
accord.  And  because  M.  de  Merosailles 
had  gallantly  defended  his  sister's  beauty 
in  three  duels,  he  sent  him  by  the  hand  of 
a  high  officer  his  Order  of  the  Red  Rose, 
which  M.  de  Mdrosailles  wore  with  great 
pride  at  the  Court  of  Versailles. 

But  when  the  copies  of  the  last  picture 
reached  the  Courts  to  which  they  were  ad- 
dressed, together  with  the  money  and  a 
brief  history  of  Giraldo's  mad  doings,  the 
Princes  turned  their  thoughts  again  to  the 
matter  of  the  alliance,  and  several  embas- 
sies set  out  for  Strelsau  ;  so  that  Princess 
Osra  said,  with  a  smile  that  was  half-sad, 
half-amused,  and  very  whimsical  : 

"  I  am  much  troubled  by  reason  of  the 
loss  of  Signer  Giraldo  my  painter." 


CHAPTER  VIL 
The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbati* 

THERE  is  a  swift  little  river  running  by 
the  village  of  Hofbau,  and  on  the  river  is  a 
mill,  kept  in  the  days  of  King  Rudolf  III. 
by  a  sturdy  fellow  who  lived  there  all 
alone  ;  the  King  knew  him,  having  alighted 
at  his  house  for  a  draught  of  beer  as  he 
rode  hunting,  and  it  was  of  him  the  King 
spoke  when  he  said  to  the  Queen,  "There 
is,  I  believe,  but  one  man  in  the  country 
whom  Osra  could  not  move,  and  he  is 
the  Miller  of  Hofbau."  But  although  he 
addressed  the  Queen,  it  was  his  sister  at 
whom  he  aimed  his  speech.  The  Princess 
herself  was  sitting  by,  and  when  she  heard 
the  King  she  said  : 

"  In  truth  I  do  not  desire  to  move  any 
man.  What  but  trouble  comes  of  it?  Yet 
who  is  this  miller  ?" 

The  King  told  her  where  the  miller  might 
be  found,  and  he  added:  "If  you  convert 


202  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

him  to  the  love  of  women  you   shall  have 
the  finest  bracelet  in  Strelsau." 

"  There  is  nothing,  sire,  so  remote  from 
my  thoughts  or  desires  as  to  convert  your 
miller,"  said  Osra  scornfully. 

In  this,  at  the  moment,  she  spoke  truth- 
fully ;  but  being  left  alone  for  some  days 
at  the  Castle  of  Zenda,  which  is  but  a  few 
miles  from  Hofbau,  she  found  the  time 
hang  very  heavy  on  her  hands  ;  indeed  she 
did  not  know  what  to  do  with  herself  for 
weariness ;  and  for  this  reason,  and  none 
other  at  all,  one  day  she  ordered  her  horse 
and  rode  off  with  a  single  groom  into  the 
forest.  Coming,  as  the  morning  went  on,  to 
a  wide  road,  she  asked  the  groom  where  it 
led.  "  To  Hofbau,  madame,"  he  answered. 
"  It  is  not  more  than  a  mile  further  on." 
Osra  waited  a  few  moments,  then  she 
said  :  "  I  will  ride  on  and  see  the  village,  for 
I'  have  been  told  that  it  is  pretty.  Wait 
here  till  I  return,"  and  she  rode  on,  smiling 
a  little,  and  with  a  delicate  tint  of  colour  in 
her  cheeks. 

Before  long  she  saw  the  river  and  the 
mill  on  the  river ;  and,  coming  to  the  mill, 
she  saw  the  miller  sitting  before  his  door, 
smoking  a  long  pipe.  She  called  out  to 
him,  asking  him  to  sell  her  a  glass  of  milk. 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau*    203 

"  You  can  have  it  for  the  asking,"  said 
the  miller.  He  was  a  good-looking  fair  fel- 
low, and  wore  a  scarlet  cap.  "  There  is  a 
pail  of  it  just  inside  the  door  behind  me." 
Yet  he  did  not  rise,  but  lay  there,  lolling 
luxuriously  in  the  sun.  For  he  did  not 
know  Osra,  never  having  been  to  Strelsau 
in  his  life,  and  to  Zenda  three  or  four  times 
only,  and  that  when  the  Princess  was  not 
there.  Moreover — though  this,  as  must  be 
allowed,  is  not  to  the  purpose — he  had 
sworn  never  again  to  go  so  far  afield. 

Being  answered  in  this  manner,  and  at 
the  same  time  desiring  the  milk,  the  Prin- 
cess had  no  choice  but  to  dismount. 

This  she  did,  and  passed  by  the  miller, 
pausing  a  moment  to  look  at  him  with  bright 
curious  eyes,  that  flashed  from  under  the 
brim  of  her  wide-rimmed  feathered  hat ;  but 
the  miller  blinked  lazily  up  at  the  sun  and 
took  no  heed  of  her. 

Osra  passed  on,  found  the  pail,  poured 
out  a  cup  of  milk,  and  drank  it.  Then,  re- 
filling the  cup,  she  carried  it  to  the  miller. 

"  Will  you  not  have  some  ? "  said  she 
with  a  smile. 

"  I  was  too  lazy  to  get  it,"  said  the 
miller ;  and  he  held  out  his  hand,  but  did 
not  otherwise  change  his  position. 


204  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

Osra's  brow  puckered  and  her  cheek 
flushed  as  she  bent  down,  holding  the  cup 
of  milk  so  that  the  miller  could  reach  it. 
He  took  and  drained  it,  gave  it  back  to  her, 
and  put  his  pipe  in  his  mouth  again.  Osra 
sat  down  by  him  and  watched  him.  He 
puffed  and  blinked  away,  never  so  much  as 
looking  at  her. 

"  What  have  you  for  dinner?"  asked 
she  presently. 

11  A  piece  of  cold  pie,"  said  he.  "  There's 
enough  for  two,  if  you're  hungry." 

"  Would  you  not  like  it  better  hot  ?" 

"  Oh,  aye ;  but  I  cannot  weary  myself 
with  heating  it." 

"Til  heat  it,"  said  the  Princess;  and, 
rising,  she  went  into  the  house,  and  made 
up  the  fire,  which  was  almost  burnt  out ; 
then  she  heated  the  pie,  and  set  the  room 
in  order,  and  laid  the  table,  and  drew  a 
large  jug  of  beer  from  the  cask.  Next  she 
placed  an  arm-chair  ready  for  the  miller, 
and  put  the  jug  by  it  ;  then  she  filled  the 
pipe  from  the  bowl  of  tobacco  and  set  a 
cushion  in  the  chair.  All  this  while  she 
hummed  a  tune,  and  from  time  to  time 
smiled  gayly.  Lastly,  she  arranged  a  chair 
by  the  elbow  of  the  miller's  chair  ;  then  she 
went  out  and  told  him  that  his  dinner  was 


HE   TOOK   IT  AND   DRAINED   IT."— Page  204. 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hoflbau.    205 

ready ;  and  he  stumbled  to  his  feet  with  a 
sigh  of  laziness,  and  walked  before  her  into 
the  house. 

"  May  I  come  ?  "  cried  she. 

"  Aye,  there  is  enough  for  two,"  said  the 
Miller  of  Hofbau  without  looking  round. 

So  she  followed  him  in.  He  sank  into  the 
arm-chair  and  sat  there,  for  a  moment  sur- 
veying the  room  which  was  so  neat,  and 
the  table  so  daintily  laid,  and  the  pie  so 
steaming  hot.  And  he  sighed,  saying  : 

"  It  was  like  this  before  poor  mother 
died."  And  he  fell  to  on  a  great  portion 
of  pie  with  which  Osra  piled  his  plate. 

When  he  had  finished  eating — which 
thing  did  not  happen  for  some  time — she 
held  the  jug  while  he  took  a  long  draught ; 
then  she  brought  a  coal  in  the  tongs  and 
held  it  while  he  lit  his  pipe  from  it ;  then 
she  sat  down  by  him.  For  several  moments 
he  puffed,  and  then  at  last  he  turned  his 
head  and  looked  at  Princess  Osra;  she 
drooped  her  long  lashes  and  cast  down  her 
eyes  ;  next  she  lifted  her  eyes  and  glanced 
for  an  instant  at  the  miller  ;  and,  finally,  she 
dropped  her  eyes  again  and  murmured 
shyly:  "What  is  it,  sir?  Why  do  you 
look  at  me  ?" 

"You  seem  to  be  a  handy  wench,"  ob- 


206  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

served  the  miller.  "  The  pie  was  steaming 
hot  and  yet  not  burnt,  the  beer  was  well 
frothed  but  not  shaken  nor  thickened,  and 
the  pipe  draws  well.  Where  does  your 
father  dwell?" 

"  He  is  dead,  sir,"  said  Princess  Osra  very 
demurely. 

"And  your  mother?"  pursued  the  miller. 

"  She  also  is  dead." 

"  There  is  small  harm  in  that,"  said  the 
miller  thoughtfully  ;  and  Osra  turned  away 
her  head  to  hide  her  smile. 

"  Are  you  not  very  lonely,  living  here 
all  by  yourself?"  she  asked  a  moment 
later. 

"  Indeed  I  have  to  do  everything  for 
myself,"  said  the  miller  sadly. 

"  And  there  is  nobody  to — to  care  for 
you?" 

"  No,  nor  to  look  after  my  comfort,"  said 
the  miller.  "  Have  you  any  kindred  ?" 

"  I  have  two  brothers,  sir ;  but  they  are 
married  now,  and  have  no  need  of  me." 

The  miller  laid  down  his  pipe  and,  set- 
ting his  elbow  on  the  table,  faced  Princess 
Osra. 

"  H'm  !  "  said  he.  "  And  is  it  likely  you 
will  ride  this  way  again  ?  " 

"  I    may   chance   to   do  so,"  said    Osra, 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau.    207 

and  now  there  was  a  glance  of  malicious 
triumph  in  her  eyes  ;  she  was  thinking 
already  how  the  bracelet  would  look  on  her 
arm. 

"  Ah  ! "  said  the  miller.  And  after  a 
pause  he  added  :  "  If  you  do,  come  half  an 
hour  before  dinner,  and  you  can  lend  a 
hand  in  making  it  ready.  Where  did  you 
get  those  fine  clothes  ?  " 

"  My  mistress  gave  them  to  me,"  an- 
swered Osra.  "  She  has  cast  them  off." 

"And  that  horse  you  rode?" 

"  It  is  my  master's ;  I  have  it  to  ride 
when  I  do  my  mistress's  errands." 

"  Will  your  master  and  mistress  do  any- 
thing for  you  if  you  leave  your  service  ?" 

"  I  have  been  promised  a  present  if— 
said    Osra,    and   she   paused    in    apparent 
confusion. 

"  Aye,"  said  the  miller,  nodding  saga- 
ciously, as  he  rose  slowly  from  the  arm- 
chair. "  Will  you  be  this  way  again  in  a 
week  or  so  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  think  it  is  very  likely,"  answered 
the  Princess  Osra. 

"Then  look  in,"  said  the  miller.  "  About 
half  an  hour  before  dinner."  He  nodded 
his  head  again  very  significantly  at  Osra, 
and,  turning  away,  went  to  his  work,  as  a 


208  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

man  goes  who  would  far  rather  sit  still  in 
the  sun.  But  just  as  he  reached  the  door 
he  turned  his  head  and  asked :  "  Are  you 
sturdy?" 

"  I  am  strong  enough,  I  think,"  said  she. 

"  A  sack  of  flour  is  a  heavy  thing  for  a 
man  to  lift  by  himself,"  remarked  the 
miller,  and  with  that  he  passed  through  the 
door  and  left  her  alone. 

Then  she  cleared  the  table,  put  the  pie 
— or  what  was  left — in  the  larder,  set  the 
room  in  order,  refilled  the  pipe,  stood  the 
jug  handy  by  the  cask,  and,  with  a  look  of 
great  satisfaction  on  her  face,  tripped  out 
to  where  her  horse  was,  mounted,  and  rode 
away. 

The  next  week — and  the  interval  had 
seemed  long  to  her,  and  no  less  long  to  the 
Miller  of  Hofbau — she  came  again,  and  so 
the  week  after ;  and  in  the  week  following 
that  she  came  twice ;  and  on  the  second  of 
these  two  days,  after  dinner,  the  miller  did 
not  go  off  to  his  sacks,  but  he  followed  her 
out  of  the  house,  pipe  in  hand,  when  she 
went  to  mount  her  horse,  and  as  she  was 
about  to  mount,  he  said : 

"Indeed  you're  a  handy  wench." 

"  You  say  much  of  my  hands,  but  noth- 
ing of  my  face,"  remarked  Princess  Osra. 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau,    209 

"  Of  your  face  ?  "  repeated  the  miller  in 
some  surprise.  "  What  should  I  say  of 
your  face  ?  " 

"  Well,  is  it  not  a  comely  face  ? "  said 
Osra,  turning  towards  him  that  he  might 
be  better  able  to  answer  her  question. 

The  miller  regarded  her  for  some  min- 
utes, then  a  slow  smile  spread  on  his  lips. 

"Oh,  aye,  it  is  well  enough,"  said  he. 
Then  he  laid  a  floury  finger  on  her  arm  as 
he  continued  :  "  If  you  come  next  week — 
why,  it  is  but  half  a  mile  to  church  !  I'll 
have  the  cart  ready  and  bid  the  priest  be 
there.  What's  your  name  ?"  For  he  had 
not  hitherto  asked  Osra's  name. 

"  Rosa  Schwartz,"  said  she,  and  her  face 
was  all  alight  with  triumph  and  amuse- 
ment. 

"  Yes,  I  shall  be  very  comfortable  with 
you,"  said  the  miller.  "  We  will  be  at  the 
church  an  hour  before  noon,  so  that  there 
may  be  time  afterwards  for  the  preparation 
of  dinner." 

"  That  will  be  on  Thursday  in  next 
week  ?  "  asked  Osra. 

"  Aye,  on  Thursday,"  said  the  miller,  and 
he  turned  on  his  heel.  But  in  a  minute  he 
turned  again,  saying  :  "  Give  me  a  kiss, 
then,  since  we  are  to  be  man  and  wife," 


210  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

and  he  came  slowly  towards  her,  holding 
his  arms  open. 

"  Nay,  the  kiss  will  wait  till  Thursday. 
Maybe  there  will  be  less  flour  on  your  face 
then."  And  with  a  laugh  she  dived  under 
his  outstretched  arms  and  made  her  escape. 
The  day  being  warm,  the  miller  did  not 
put  himself  out  by  pursuing  her,  but  stood 
where  he  was,  with  a  broad  comfortable 
smile  on  his  lips ;  and  so  he  watched  her 
ride  away. 

Now,  as  she  rode,  the  Princess  was  much 
occupied  in  thinking  of  the  Miller  of  Hof- 
bau.  Elated  and  triumphant  as  she  was  at 
having  won  from  him  a  promise  of  marriage, 
she  was  yet  somewhat  vexed  that  he  had 
not  shown  a  more  passionate  affection,  and 
this  thought  clouded  her  brow  for  full  half 
an  hour.  But  then  her  face  cleared.  "Still 
waters  run  deep,"  she  said  to  herself.  "  He 
is  not  like  these  Court  gallants,  who  have 
learnt  to  make  love  as  soon  as  they  learn 
to  walk,  and  cannot  talk  to  a  woman  with- 
out bowing  and  grimacing  and  sighing  at 
every  word.  The  miller  has  a  deep  nature, 
and  surely  I  have  won  his  heart,  or  he 
would  not  take  me  for  his  wife.  Poor 
miller  !  I  pray  that  he  may  not  grieve  very 
bitterly  when  I  make  the  truth  known  to 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau*    211 

him!"  And  then,  at  the  thought  of  the 
grief  of  the  miller,  her  face  was  again 
clouded  ;  but  it  again  cleared  when  she  con- 
sidered of  the  great  triumph  that  she  had 
won,  and  how  she  would  enjoy  a  victory  over 
the  King,  and  would  have  the  finest  bracelet 
in  all  Strelsau  as  a  gift  from  him.  Thus 
she  arrived  at  the  Castle  in  the  height  of 
merriment  and  exultation. 

It  chanced  that  the  King  came  to  Zenda 
that  night,  to  spend  a  week  hunting  the 
boar  in  the  forest ;  and  when  Osra,  all 
blushing  and  laughing,  told  him  of  her  suc- 
cess with  the  Miller  of  Hofbau  he  was 
greatly  amused,  and  swore  that  no  such 
girl  ever  lived,  and  applauded  her,  renew- 
ing his  promise  of  the  bracelet ;  and  he  de- 
clared that  he  would  himself  ride  with  her 
to  Hofbau  on  the  wedding-day,  and  see  how 
the  poor  miller  bore  his  disappointment. 

"Indeed  I  do  not  see  how  you  are  going 
to  excuse  yourself  to  him/'  he  laughed. 

"  A  purse  of  five  hundred  crowns  must 
do  that  ofrice  for  me,"  said  she. 

"  What,  will  crowns  patch  a  broken 
heart?" 

"  His  broken  heart  must  heal  itself,  as 
men's  broken  hearts  do,  brother ! " 

"  In   truth,    sister,  I    have   known    them 


2i2  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra, 

cure  themselves.  Let  us  hope  it  may  be  so 
with  the  Miller  of  Hofbau." 

"  At  the  worst  I  have  revenged  the 
wrongs  of  women  on  him.  It  is  unendur- 
able that  any  man  should  scorn  us,  be  he 
king  or  miller." 

"  It  is  indeed  very  proper  that  he  should 
suffer  great  pangs,"  said  the  King,  "  in 
spite  of  his  plaster  of  crowns.  I  shall  love 
to  see  the  stolid  fellow  sighing  and  moaning 
like  a  lovesick  courtier." 

So  they  agreed  to  ride  together  to  the 
miller's  at  Hofbau  on  the  day  appointed  for 
the  wedding,  and  both  of  them  waited  with 
impatience  for  it.  But,  with  the  bad  luck 
that  pursues  mortals  (even  though  they  be 
princes)  in  this  poor  world,  it  happened 
that  early  in  the  morning  of  the  Thursday 
a  great  officer  came  riding  post-haste  from 
Strelsau  to  take  the  King's  commands  on 
high  matters  of  State  ;  and,  although  Ru- 
dolf was  sorely  put  out  of  temper  by  this 
untoward  interruption,  yet  he  had  no  alter- 
native but  to  transact  the  business  before  he 
rode  to  the  miller's  at  Hofbau.  So  he  sat 
fretting  and  fuming,  while  long  papers  were 
readfto  him,  and  the  Princess  walked  up 
and  down  the  length  of  the  drawbridge, 
fretting  also  ;  for  before  the  King  could 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hoflbau.    213 

escape  from  his  affairs,  the  hour  of  the  wed- 
ding was  already  come,  and  doubtless  the 
Miller  of  Hofbau  was  waiting  with  the  priest 
in  the  church.  Indeed  it  was  one  o'clock 
or  more  before  Osra  and  the  King  set  out 
from  Zenda,  and  they  had  then  a  ride  of  an 
hour  and  a  half ;  and  all  this  when  Osra 
should  have  been  at  the  miller's  at  eleven 
o'clock. 

"  Poor  man,  he  will  be  half  mad  with 
waiting  and  with  anxiety  for  me  ! "  cried 
Osra.  "  I  must  give  him  another  hundred 
crowns  on  account  of  it."  And  she  added, 
after  a  pause,  "  I  pray  he  may  not  take  it 
too  much  to  heart,  Rudolf." 

"  We  must  try  to  prevent  him  doing  him- 
self any  mischief  in  his  despair,"  smiled  the 
King. 

"  Indeed  it  is  a  serious  matter,"  pouted 
the  Princess,  who  thought  the  King's  smile 
out  of  place. 

"•  It  was  not  so  when  you  began  it,"  said 
her  brother  ;  and  Osra  was  silent. 

Then  about  half-past  two  they  came  in 
sight  of  the  mill.  Now  the  King  dismounted, 
while  they  were  still  several  hundred  yards 
away,  and  tied  his  horse  to  a  tree  in  a  clump 
by  the  wayside  ;  and  when  they  came  near 
to  the  mill  he  made  a  circuit  and  approached 


214  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra, 

from  the  side,  and,  creeping  along  to  the 
house,  hid  himself  behind  a  large  water-butt, 
which  stood  just  under  the  window  ;  from 
that  point  he  could  hear  what  passed  inside 
the  house,  and  could  see  if  he  stood  erect. 
But  Osra  rode  up  to  the  front  of  the  mill,  as 
she  had  been  accustomed,  and,  getting  down 
from  her  horse,  walked  up  to  the  door.  The 
miller's  cart  stood  in  the  yard  of  the  mill, 
but  the  horse  was  not  in  the  shafts,  and 
neither  the  miller  nor  anybody  else  was  to 
be  seen  about ;  and  the  door  of  the  house 
was  shut. 

"  He  must  be  waiting  at  the  church,"  said 
she.  "  But  I  will  look  in  and  make  sure. 
Indeed  I  feel  half  afraid  to  meet  him." 
And  her  heart  was  beating  rapidly  and  her 
face  was  rather  pale  as  she  walked  up  to 
the  door  ;  for  she  feared  what  the  miller 
might  do  in  the  passion  of  his  disappoint- 
ment at  learning  who  she  was  and  that  she 
could  not  be  his  wife.  "  I  hope*the  six  hun- 
dred crowns  will  comfort  him,"  she  said,  as 
she  laid  her  hand  on  the  latch  of  the  door  ; 
and  she  sighed,  her  heart  being  heavy  for 
the  miller,  and,  maybe  a  little  heavy  also 
for  the  guilt  that  lay  on  her  conscience  for 
having  deceived  him. 

Now    when    she    lifted    the    latch    and 


ON    EITHER    SIDE 


THE   PRIEST   OF    THE    VILLAGE    AND  THE    MILLER    OF 

HOFBAU."—  Page  215. 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau.   215 

opened  the  door,  the  sight  that  met  her 
eyes  was  this :  The  table  was  strewn  with 
the  remains  of  a  brave  dinner ;  two  burnt- 
out  pipes  lay  beside  the  plates.  A  smaller 
table  was  in  front  of  the  fire  ;  on  it  stood  a 
very  large  jug,  entirely  empty,  but  bearing 
signs  of  having  Jbeen  full  not  so  long  ago  ; 
and  on  either  side  of  it,  each  in  an  arm- 
chair, sat  the  priest  of  the  village  and  the 
Miller  of  Hofbau  ;  both  of  them  were  sleep- 
ing very  contentedly,  and  snoring  some- 
what as  they  slept.  The  Princess,  smitten 
by  remorse  at  the  spectacle,  said  softly  : 

"  Poor  fellow,  he  grew  weary  of  waiting, 
and  hungry,  and  was  compelled  to  take  his 
dinner ;  and,  like  the  kind  man  he  is,  he  has 
entertained  the  priest,  and  kept  him  here,  so 
that  no  time  should  be  lost  when  I  arrived. 
Indeed  I  am  afraid  the  poor  man  loves  me 
very  much.  Well,  miller,  or  lord,  or  prince 
— they  are  all  the  same.  Heigh-ho  !  Why 
did  I  deceive  him  ?"  And  she  walked  up 
to  the  miller's  chair,  leant  over  the  back 
of  it,  and  lightly  touched  his  red  cap  with 
her  fingers.  He  put  up  his  hand  and 
brushed  with  it,  as  though  he  brushed  away 
a  fly,  but  gave  no  other  sign  of  awakening. 

The  King  called  softly  from  behind  the 
water-butt  under  the  window  : 


2i6  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  Is  he  there,  Osra  ?     Is  he  there  ?  " 

"  The  poor  man  has  fallen  asleep  in  weari- 
ness," she  answered.  "  But  the  priest  is 
here,  ready  to  marry  us.  Oh,  Rudolf,  I  am 
so  sorry  for  what  I  have  done  ! " 

"  Girls  are  always  mighty  sorry,  after  it  is 
done,"  remarked  the  King.  "  Wake  him  up, 
Osra." 

At  this  moment  the  Miller  of  Hofbau  sat 
up  in  his  chair  and  gave  a  great  sneeze  ;  and 
by  this  sound  the  priest  also  was  awakened. 
Osra  came  forward  and  stood  between 
them.  The  miller  looked  at  her,  and  tilted 
his  red  cap  forward  in  order  that  he  might 
scratch  his  head.  Then  he  looked  across 
to  the  priest,  and  said  : 

"  It  is  she,  Father.     She  has  come." 

The  priest  rubbed  his  hands  together, 
and  smiled  uncomfortably. 

"  We  waited  two  hours,"  said  he,  glancing 
at  the  clock.  "  See,  it  is  three  o'clock  now." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  waited  so  long,"  said 
Osra,  "but  I  could  not  come  before.  And 

— and  now  that  I  am  come,  I  cannot " 

But  here  she  paused  in  great  distress  and 
confusion,  not  knowing  how  to  break  her 
sad  tidings  to  the  Miller  of  Hofbau. 

The  miller  drew  his  legs  up  under  his 
chair,  and  regarded  Osra  with  a  grave  air. 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hof bau.    217 

"  You  should  have  been  here  at  eleven," 
said  he.  "  I  went  to  the  church  at  eleven, 
and  the  priest  was  there,  and  my  cousin 
Hans  to  act  as  my  groom,  and  my  cousin 
Gertrude  to  be  your  maid.  There  we 
waited  hard  on  two  hours.  But  you  did  not 
come." 

"  I  am  very  sorry, "pleaded  Princess  Osra. 
The  King  laughed  low  to  himself  behind  the 
water-butt,  being  much  amused  at  her  dis- 
tress and  her  humility. 

"  And  now  that  you  are  come,"  pursued 
the  miller,  scratching  his  head  again,  "  I  do 
not  know  what  we  are  to  do."  He  looked 
again  at  the  priest,  seeking  counsel. 

At  this  the  Princess  Osra,  thinking  that 
an  opportunity  had  come,  took  the  purse  of 
six  hundred  crowns  from  under  her  cloak, 
and  laid  it  on  the  table. 

"  What  is  this  ?  "  said  the  miller,  for  the 
first  time  showing  some  eagerness. 

"  They  are  for  you,"  said  Osra  as  she 
watched  him  while  he  unfastened  the  purse. 
Then  he  poured  the  crowns  out  on  the  table, 
and  counted  them  one  by  one,  till  he  had 
told  all  the  six  hundred.  Then  he  raised 
his  hands  above  his  head,  let  them  fall  again, 
sighed  slightly,  and  looked  across  at  the 
priest 


218  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

"  I  warned  you  not  to  be  in  such  a  hurry, 
friend  miller,"  remarked  the  priest. 

"  I  waited  two  hours,"  said  the  miller 
plaintively,  "  and  you  know  that  she  is  a 
handy  wench,  and  very  fond  of  me." 

He  began  to  gather  up  the  crowns  and 
return  them  to  the  purse. 

"  I  trust  I  am  a  handy  wench,"  said  Osra, 
smiling,  yet  still  very  nervous,  "  and,  in- 
deed, I  have  a  great  regard  for  the  miller, 
but " 

"  Nay,  he  does  not  mean  you,"  inter- 
rupted the  priest. 

"Six  hundred,"  sighed  the  miller,  "and 
Gertrude  has  but  two  hundred  !  Still  she 
is  a  handy  wench  and  very  sturdy.  I  doubt 
if  you  could  lift  a  sack  by  yourself,  as  she 
can."  And  he  looked  doubtfully  at  Osra's 
slender  figure. 

"  I  do  not  know  why  you  talk  of  Ger- 
trude," said  the  Princess  petulantly.  "  What 
is  Gertrude  to  me  ?  " 

"Why,  I  take  it  that  she  is  nothing  at 
all  to  you,"  answered  the  priest,  folding  his 
hands  on  his  lap  and  smiling  placidly. 
"  Still,  for  my  part,  I  bade  him  wait  a  little 
longer." 

"  I  waited  two  hours,"  said  the  miller. 
"  And  Gertrude  urged  me,  saying  that  you 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau*    219 

would  not  come,  and  that  she  would  look 
after  me  better  than  you,  being  one  of  the 
family.  And  she  said  it  was  hard  that 
she  should  have  no  husband,  while  her  own 
cousin  married  a  stranger.  And  since  it 
was  all  the  same  to  me,  provided  I  got  a 
handy  and  sturdy  wench " 

"What?"  cried  the  Princess  Osra  ;  and 
the  King  was  so  interested  that  he  rose  up 
from  behind  the  water-butt, and,  leaning  his 
elbows  on  the  window-sill,  looked  in  and 
saw  all  that  happened. 

"  It  being,"  pursued  the  Miller  of  Hof- 
bau, "all  the  same  to  me,  so  that  I  got 
what  I  wanted,  why,  when  you  did  not 
come " 

"  He  married  his  cousin,"  said  the  priest. 

A  sudden  roar  of  laughter  came  from 
the  window.  All  three  turned  round,  but 
the  King  ducked  his  head  and  crouched 
again  behind  the  water-butt  before  they 
saw  him. 

"  Who  was  that  ?"  cried  the  priest. 

"  A  lad  that  came  to  hold  my  horse,"  an- 
swered Osra  hastily,  and  then  she  turned 
fiercely  on  the  miller. 

"  And  that,"  she  said,  "  was  all  you 
wanted  !  I  thought  you  loved  me." 

"  Aye,  I   liked   you  very  well,"  said  the 


220  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

miller.  "  You  are  a  handy "  A  stamp 

of  her  foot  drowned  the  rest.  "  But  you 
should  have  come  in  time,"  he  went  on. 

"  And  this  Gertrude — is  she  pretty  ?  " 
demanded  Osra. 

"  Gertrude  is  well  enough,"  said  the  mil- 
ler. "  But  she  has  only  two  hundred 
crowns."  And  he  put  the  purse,  now 
full  again,  on  the  table  with  a  resigned 
sigh. 

"  And  you  shall  have  no  more,"  cried 
Osra,  snatching  up  her  purse  in  great  rage. 
"  And  you  and  Gertrude  may " 

"  What  of  Gertrude  ?  "  came  at  this  mo- 
ment from  the  door  of  the  room  where  the 
sacks  were.  The  Princess  turned  round 
swift  as  the  wind,  and  she  saw  in  the  door- 
way a  short  and  very  broad  girl,  with  a  very 
wide  face  and  straggling  hair  ;  the  girl's 
nose  was  very  flat,  and  her  eyes  were  small ; 
but  her  great  mouth  smiled  good-humour- 
edly  and,  as  the  Princess  looked,  she  let 
slip  to  the  ground  a  sack  of  flour  that  she 
had  been  carrying  on  her  sturdy  back. 

"  Aye,  Gertrude  is  well  enough,"  said  the 
miller,  looking  at  her  contentedly.  "  She  is 
very  strong  and  willing." 

Then,  while  Gertrude  stood  wondering 
and  staring  with  wide  eyes  in  the  doorway, 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau.    221 

the  Princess  swept  up  to  the  miller,  and 
leant  over  him,  and  cried  : 

"  Look  at  my  face,  look  at  my  face  ! 
What  manner  of  face  is  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  well  enough,"  said  the  miller. 
"  But  Gertrude  is 

There  was  a  crash  on  the  floor,  and 
the  six  hundred  crowns  rolled  out  of  the 
purse,  and  scattered,  spinning  and  rolling 
hither  and  thither  all  over  the  floor  and 
into  every  corner  of  the  room.  And  Prin- 
cess Osra  cried  :  "  Have  you  no  eyes  ?  " 
and  then  she  turned  away ;  for  her  lip  was 
quivering,  and  she  would  not  have  the  miller 
see  it.  But  she  turned  from  the  miller 
only  to  face  Gertrude  his  wife ;  Gertrude's 
small  eyes  brightened  with  sudden  intelli- 
gence. 

"  Ah,  you're  the  other  girl  1 "  said  Ger- 
trude with  much  amusement.  "  And  was 
that  your  dowry  ?  It  is  large  !  I  am  glad 
you  did  not  come  in  time.  But  see,  I'll  pick 
it  up  for  you.  Nay,  don't  take  on.  I  dare 
say  you'll  find  another  husband." 

She  passed  by  Osra,  patting  her  on  the 
shoulder  kindly  as  she  went,  and  then  fell  on 
her  knees  and  began  to  pick  up  the  crowns, 
crawling  after  them  all  over  the  floor,  and 
holding  up  her  apron  to  receive  the  recov- 


222  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

ered  treasure.  And  Princess  Osra  stood 
looking  at  her. 

"  Aye,  you'll  find  another  husband," 
nodded  the  priest  encouragingly. 

"Aye,  you'll  find  another  husband,"  as- 
sented the  miller  placidly.  "  And  just  as 
one  girl  is  pretty  nearly  as  good  as  another 
—if  she  is  handy  and  sturdy — so  one  hus- 
band is  as  good  as  another,  if  he  can  keep 
a  house  over  you." 

Princess  Osra  said  nothing.  But  Ger- 
trude, having  picked  up  the  crowns,  came 
to  her  with  a  full  apron,  saying : 

"  Hold  your  lap,  and  I'll  pour  them  in. 
They'll  get  you  a  good  husband." 

Princess  Osra  suddenly  bent  and  kissed 
Gertrude's  cheek,  and  she  said  gently  : 

"  I  hope  you  have  got  a  good  husband, 
my  dear ;  but  let  him  do  some  work  for 
himself.  And  keep  the  six  hundred  crowns 
as  a  present  from  me,  for  he  will  value  you 
more  with  eight  hundred  than  with  two." 

The  eyes  of  all  three  were  fixed  on  her 
in  wonder  and  almost  in  fear,  for  her  tone 
and  manner  were  now  different.  Then  she 
turned  to  the  miller,  and  she  bit  her  lip 
and  dashed  her  hand  across  her  eyes,  and 
she  said : 

"  And  you,  miller,  are  the  only  sensible 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau.    223 

man  I  have  found  in  all  the  kingdom. 
Therefore  good  luck  and  a  good  wife  to 
you."  And  she  gave  a  little  short  laugh, 
and  turned  and  walked  out  of  the  cottage, 
leaving  them  all  spellbound  in  wonder. 
But  the  miller  rose  from  his  chair  and  ran 
to  the  door,  and  when  he  reached  it  the 
King  was  just  lifting  Osra  on  to  her  horse  ; 
the  miller  knew  the  King,  and  stood  there 
with  eyes  wide  and  cheeks  bulged  in  won- 
der ;  but  he  could  gasp  out  no  more  than 
"The  King,  the  King!"  before  Rudolf  and 
Osra  were  far  away.  And  they  could, 
none  of  them,  neither  the  miller,  nor  Ger- 
trude, nor  the  priest,  tell  what  the  matter 
meant,  until  one  day  King  Rudolf  rode 
again  to  the  mill  at  Hofbau,  and,  having 
sent  for  the  priest,  told  the  three  enough  of 
the  truth,  saying  that  the  affair  was  the  out- 
come of  a  jest  at  Court ;  and  he  made  each 
of  them  a  handsome  present,  and  vowed 
them  to  secrecy  by  their  fealty  and  attach- 
ment to  his  person  and  his  honour. 

"  So  she  would  not  have  married  me, 
anyhow  ?  "  asked  the  miller. 

"I  think  not,  friend,"  answered  Rudolf 
with  a  laugh. 

"  Then  we  are  but  quits  and  all  is  well. 
Gertrude,  the  jug,  my  lass  ! " 


224  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

And  so,  indeed,  it  seemed  to  the  King 
that  they  were  but  quits,  and  so  he  said  to 
the  Princess  Osra.  But  he  declared  that 
she  had  so  far  prevailed  with  the  miller 
as  to  make  him  desire  marriage  as  an  ex- 
cellent and  useful  thing  in  itself,  although 
she  had  not  persuaded  him  that  it  was  of 
great  moment  whom  a  man  married.  There- 
fore he  was  very  anxious  to  give  her  the 
bracelet  which  he  had  promised,  and  more 
than  once  prayed  her  to  accept  it.  But 
Osra  saw  the  laugh  that  lurked  in  the  King's 
eye,  and  would  not  consent  to  have  the 
bracelet,  and  for  a  long  while  she  did  not 
love  to  speak  of  the  Miller  of  Hofbau. 
Yet  once,  when  the  King  on  some  occasion 
cried  out  very  impatiently  that  all  men  were 
fools,  she  said  : 

"  Sire,  you  forget  the  Miller  of  Hofbau." 
And  she  blushed,  and  laughed,  and  turned 
her  eyes  away. 

One  other  thing  she  did  which  very 
greatly  puzzled  Queen  Margaret,  and  all 
the  ladies  of  the  Court,  and  all  the  waiting- 
women,  and  all  the  serving-maids,  and,  in 
fine,  every  person  high  or  low  who  saw  or 
heard  of  it,  except  the  King  only.  For  in 
winter  evenings  she  took  her  scissors  and 
her  needle,  and  she  cut  strips  of  ribbon, 


The  Indifference  of  the  Miller  of  Hoflbau.    225 

each  a  foot  long  and  a  couple  of  inches 
broad  ;  on  each  of  them  she  embroidered 
a  motto  or  legend  ;  and  she  affixed  the 
ribbons  bearing  the  legend  to  each  and 
every  one  of  the  mirrors  in  each  of  her 
chambers  at  Strelsau,  at  Zenda,  and  at  the 
other  royal  residences.  And  her  waiting- 
women  noticed  that,  whenever  she  had 
looked  in  the  mirror  and  smiled  at  her  own 
image  or  shewn  other  signs  of  pleasure  in 
it,  she  would  then  cast  her  eyes  up  to  the 
legend,  and  seem  to  read  it,  and  blush  a 
little,  and  laugh  a  little,  and  sigh  a  little ; 
the  reason  for  which  things  they  could  by 
no  means  understand. 

For  the  legend  was  but  this  : 

"Remember  the  Miller  of  Hofbau" 


CHAPTER  VIIL 
The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenbet  g. 

IT  was  the  spring  of  the  year  when 
Ludwig,  Prince  of  Glottenberg,  came  court- 
ing the  Princess  Osra ;  for  his  father  had 
sought  the  most  beautiful  lady  of  a  Royal 
House  in  Europe,  and  had  found  none  equal 
to  Osra.  Therefore  the  Prince  came  to 
Strelsau  with  a  great  retinue,  and  was 
lodged  in  the  White  Palace,  which  stood  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  city,  where  the  public 
gardens  now  are  (for  the  Palace  itself  was 
sacked  and  burnt  by  the  people  in  the  ris- 
ing of  1848).  Here  Ludwig  stayed  many 
days,  coming  every  day  to  the  King's  palace 
to  pay  his  respects  to  the  King  and  Queen, 
and  to  make  his  court  to  the  Princess. 
King  Rudolf  had  received  him  with  the 
utmost  friendship,  and  was,  for  reasons  of 
State  then  of  great  moment  but  now  of 
vanished  interest,  as  eager  for  the  match  as 
was  the  King  of  Glottenberg  himself ;  and 
he  grew  very  impatient  with  his  sister  when 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg*    227 

she  hesitated  to  accept  Ludwig's  hand,  al- 
leging that  she  felt  for  him  no  more  than  a 
kindly  esteem,  and,  what  was  as  much  to 
the  purpose,  that  he  felt  no  more  for  her. 
For  although  the  Prince  possessed  most 
courteous  and  winning  manners,  and  was 
very  accomplished  both  in  learning  and  in 
exercises,  yet  he  was  a  grave  and  pensive 
young  man,  rather  stately  than  jovial,  and 
seemed  in  the  Princess's  eyes  (accustomed 
as  they  were  to  catch  and  check  ardent 
glances),  to  perform  his  wooing  more  as  a 
duty  of  his  station  than  on  the  impulse  of 
any  passion.  Finding  in  herself  also  no 
such  sweet  ashamed  emotions  as  had  before 
now  invaded  her  heart  on  account  of  lesser 
men,  she  grew  grave  and  troubled.  At  last 
she  said  to  the  King : 

"  Brother,  is  this  love  ?  For  I  had  as  lief 
he  were  away  as  here,  and  when  he  is  here 
he  kisses  my  hand  as  though  it  were  a 
statue's  hand  ;  and — and  I  feel  as  though  it 
were.  They  say  you  know  what  love  is. 
Is  this  love  ?  " 

"  There  are  many  forms  of  love,"  smiled 
the  King.  "  This  is  such  love  as  a  Prince 
and  a  Princess  may  most  properly  feel." 

"  I  do  not  call  it  love  at  all,"  said  Osra 
with  a  pout. 


228  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

When  Prince  Ludwig  came  next  day  to 
see  her  and  told  her  with  grave  courtesy 
that  his  pleasure  lay  in  doing  her  will,  she 
broke  out : 

"  I  had  rather  it  lay  in  watching  my  face," 
and  then,  ashamed,  she  turned  away  from 
him. 

He  seemed  grieved  and  hurt  at  her 
words ;  it  was  with  a  sigh  that  he  said  : 
"  My  life  shall  be  spent  in  giving  you  joy." 

She  turned  round  on  him  with  flushed 
cheek  and  trembling  lips  : 

"Yes,  but  I  had  rather  it  were  spent  in 
getting  joy  from  me." 

He  cast  down  his  eyes  a  moment,  and 
then,  taking  her  hand,  kissed  it.  But  she 
drew  it  away  sharply.  So  that  afternoon 
they  parted,  he  back  to  his  Palace,  she  to 
her  chamber,  where  she  sat,  asking  again  : 
"  Is  this  love  ?  "  and  crying  :  "  He  does  not 
know  love,"  and  pausing,  now  and  again, 
before  her  mirror,  to  ask  her  pictured 
face  why  it  would  not  unlock  the  door  of 
love. 

On  another  day  she  would  be  merry,  or 
feign  merriment,  rallying  him  on  his  sombre 
air  and  formal  compliments,  professing  that 
for  her  part  she  soon  grew  weary  of  such 
wooing,  and  loved  to  be  easy  and  merry ; 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg.    229 

for  thus  she  hoped  to  sting  him,  so  that  he 
would  either  disclose  more  warmth  or  alto- 
gether forsake  his  pursuit.  But  he  offered 
many  apologies,  blaming  nature  that  had 
made  him  grave,  but  assuring  her  of  his 
deep  affection  and  respect. 

"  Affection  and  respect !  "  murmured  Osra 
with  a  little  toss  of  her  head.  "  Oh,  that  I 
had  not  been  born  a  Princess  ! "  And  yet, 
though  she  did  not  love  him,  she  thought 
him  a  very  noble  gentleman,  and  trusted 
to  his  honour  and  sincerity  in  everything. 
Therefore,  when  he  still  persisted,  and  Ru- 
dolf and  the  Queen  urged  her,  telling  her 
(the  King  mockingly,  the  Queen  with  a 
touch  of  sadness)  that  she  must  not  look 
to  find  in  the  world  such  love  as  romantic 
girls  dreamt  of,  at  last  she  yielded ;  she 
told  her  brother  that  she  would  marry 
Prince  Ludwig ;  yet  for  a  little  while  she 
would  not  have  the  news  proclaimed.  So 
Rudolf  went,  alone  and  privately,  to  the 
White  Palace,  and  said  to  Ludwig  : 

"  Cousin,  you  have  won  the  fairest  lady 
in  the  world.  Behold,  her  brother  says 
it!" 

Prince  Ludwig  bowed  low,  and  taking 
the  King's  hand,  pressed  it,  thanking  him 
for  his  help  and  approval,  and  expressing 


230  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

himself  as  most  grateful  for  the  boon  of  the 
Princess's  favour. 

"  Will  you  not  come  with  me  and  find 
her  ?  "  cried  the  King  with  a  merry  look. 

"  I  have  urgent  business  now,"  answered 
Ludwig.  "  Beg  the  Princess  to  forgive  me. 
This  afternoon  I  will  crave  the  honour  of 
waiting  on  her  with  my  humble  gratitude." 

King  Rudolf  looked  at  him,  a  smile  curl- 
ing on  his  lips  ;  and  he  said,  in  one  of  his 
gusts  of  impatience  : 

"By  heaven  !  is  there  another  man  in  the 
world  who  would  talk  about  gratitude,  and 
business,  and  the  afternoon,  when  Osra  of 
Strelsau  sat  waiting  for  him  ?  " 

"  I  mean  no  discourtesy,"  protested  Lud- 
wig, taking  the  King's  arm,  and  glancing  at 
him  with  most  friendly  eyes.  "  Indeed, 
dear  friend,  I  am  rejoiced  and  honoured. 
But  this  business  of  mine  will  not  wait." 

So  the  King,  frowning  and  grumbling 
and  laughing,  went  back  alone  and  told  the 
Princess  that  the  happy  wooer  was  most 
grateful,  and  would  come  after  his  business 
was  transacted  that  afternoon.  But  Osra, 
having  given  her  hand,  would  admit  no 
fault  in  the  man  she  had  chosen,  and 
thanked  the  King  for  the  message  with 
great  dignity.  Then  the  King  came  to  her, 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg;.    231 

and,  sitting  down  by  her,  stroked  her  hair, 
saying  softly : 

"You  have  had  many  lovers,  sister  Osra, 
and  now  comes  a  husband  !  " 

"Yes,  now  a  husband,"  she  murmured, 
catching  swiftly  at  his  hand  ;  her  voice  was 
half  caught  in  a  sudden  sob. 

"  So  goes  the  world — our  world,"  said  the 
King,  knitting  his  brows  and  seeming  to  fall 
for  a  moment  into  a  sad  reverie. 

"I  am  frightened,"  she  whispered. 
"  Should  I  be  frightened  if  I  loved  him  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  told  so,"  said  the  King, 
smiling  again.  "  But  the  fear  has  a  way 
of  being  mastered  then."  And  he  drew 
her  to  him,  and  gave  her  a  hearty  brother's 
kiss,  telling  her  to  take  courage.  "  You'll 
thaw  the  fellow  yet,"  said  the  King, 
"  though,  I  grant  you,  he  is  icy  enough." 
For  the  King  himself  had  been  by  no  means 
what  he  called  an  icy  man. 

But  Osra  was  not  satisfied,  and  sought  to 
assuage  the  pain  of  her  heart  by  adorning 
herself  most  carefully  for  the  Prince's  com- 
ing, hoping  to  fire  him  to  love.  For  she 
thought  that  if  he  loved  she  might,  although 
since  he  did  not  she  could  not.  And  surely 
he  did  not,  or  all  the  tales  of  love  were 
false  !  Thus  she  came  to  receive  him  very 


232  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra, 

magnificently  arrayed.  There  was  a  flush 
on  her  cheek  and  an  uncertain,  expectant, 
fearful  look  in  her  eyes  ;  thus  she  stood  be- 
fore him,  as  he  fell  on  his  knee  and  kissed 
her  hand.  Then  he  rose  and  declared  his 
thanks,  and  promised  his  devotion ;  but  as 
he  spoke  the  flush  faded  and  the  light 
died  from  her  eyes ;  and  when  at  last  he 
drew  near  to  her  and  offered  to  kiss  her 
cheek,  her  eyes  were  dead  and  her  face 
pale  and  cold  as  she  suffered  him  to  touch 
it.  He  was  content  to  touch  it  but  once, 
and  seemed  not  to  know  how  cold  it 
was ;  and  so,  after  more  talk  of  his  father's 
pleasure  and  his  pride,  he  took  his  leave, 
promising  to  come  again  the  next  day. 
She  ran  to  the  window  when  the  door  was 
closed  on  him,  and  thence  watched  him 
mount  his  horse  and  ride  away  slowly,  with 
his  head  bent  and  his  eyes  downcast ;  yet 
he  was  a  noble  gentleman,  stately  and 
handsome,  kind  and  true.  The  tears  came 
suddenly  into  her  eyes  and  blurred  her  sight 
as  she  leant  watching  from  behind  the 
hanging  curtains  of  the  window.  Though 
she  dashed  them  away  angrily,  they  came 
again,  and  ran  down  her  pale  cold  cheeks, 
mourning  the  golden  vision  that  seemed 
gone  without  fulfilment. 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Gtottenberg.     233 

That  evening  there  came  a  gentleman 
from  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg,  carrying 
most  humble  excuses  from  his  master,  who 
(so  he  said)  was  prevented  from  waiting  on 
the  Princess  the  next  day  by  a  certain  very 
urgent  affair  which  took  him  from  Strelsau, 
and  would  keep  him  absent  from  the  city 
all  day  long  ;  and  the  gentleman  delivered 
to  Osra  a  letter  from  the  Prince,  full  of 
graceful  and  profound  apologies,  and  plead- 
ing an  engagement  that  his  honour  would 
not  let  him  break  ;  for  nothing  short  of 
that,  said  he,  should  have  kept  him  from 
her  side.  There  followed  some  lover's 
phrases,  scantily  worded  and  frigid  in  an 
assumed  passion.  But  Osra,  smiling  gra- 
ciously, sent  back  a  message,  readily  accept- 
ing all  that  the  Prince  urged  in  excuse. 
And  she  told  what  had  passed  to  the 
King,  with  her  head  high  in  the  air  and 
a  careless  haughtiness,  so  that  even  the 
King  did  not  rally  her,  nor  yet  venture  to 
comfort  her,  but  urged  her  to  spend  the 
day  in  riding  with  the  Queen  and  him  ; 
for  they  were  setting  out  for  Zenda,  where 
the  King  was  to  hunt  in  the  forest,  and  she 
could  ride  some  part  of  the  way  with  them, 
and  return  in  the  evening.  And  she,  wish- 
ing that  she  had  sent  first  to  the  Prince  to 


234  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra, 

bid  him  not  come,  agreed  to  go  with  her 
brother  ;  it  was  better  far  to  go  than  to  wait 
at  home  for  a  lover  who  would  not  come. 

Thus  the  next  morning  they  rode  out,  the 
King  and  Queen  with  their  retinue,  the 
Princess  attended  by  one  of  her  Guard, 
named  Christian  Hantz,  who  was  greatly 
attached  to  her  and  most  jealous  in  praise 
and  admiration  of  her.  This  fellow  had 
taken  it  on  himself  to  be  very  angry  with 
Prince  Ludwig's  coldness,  but  dared  say 
nothing  of  it ;  yet,  impelled  by  his  anger, 
he  had  set  himself  to  watch  the  Prince  very 
closely ;  and  thus  he  had,  as  he  conceived, 
discovered  something  which  brought  a  twin- 
kle into  his  eye  and  a  triumphant  smile  to 
his  lips  as  he  rode  behind  the  Princess. 
Some  fifteen  miles  she  accompanied  her 
brother,  and  then,  turning  with  Christian, 
took  another  way  back  to  the  city.  Alone 
she  rode,  her  mind  full  of  sad  thoughts  ; 
while  Christian,  behind,  still  wore  his  mali- 
cious smile.  But  presently,  although  she 
had  not  commanded  him,  he  quickened  his 
pace  and  came  up  to  her  side,  relying  for 
excuse  on  the  favour  which  she  always 
shewed  him. 

"Well,  Christian,"  said  she,  "have  you 
something  to  say  to  me?" 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg,    235 

For  answer  he  pointed  to  a  small  house 
standing  among  the  trees,  some  way  from 
the  road,  and  he  said  : 

"  If  I  were  Ludwigand  not  Christian,  yet 
I  would  be  here  where  Christian  is,  and  not 
there  where  Ludwig  is,"  and  he  pointed 
still  at  the  house. 

She  faced  round  in  anger  at  his  daring 
to  speak  to  her  of  the  Prince,  but  he  was  a 
bold  fellow  and  would  not  be  silenced 
now  that  he  had  begun  to  speak  ;  he  knew 
also  that  she  would  bear  much  from  him. 
So  he  leant  over  towards  her,  saying  : 

"  By  your  bounty,  madame,  I  have  money, 
and  he  who  has  money  can  get  knowledge. 
So  I  know  that  the  Prince  is  there.  For 
fifty  crowns  I  gained  a  servant  of  his,  and 
he  told  me." 

"  I  do  not  know  why  you  should  spy  on 
the  Prince,"  said  Osra,  "  and  I  do  not  care 
to  know  where  the  Prince  is  ; "  and  she 
touched  her  horse  with  the  spur  and  can- 
tered forward  fast,  leaving  the  little  house 
behind.  But  Christian  persisted,  partly  in 
a  foolish  grudge  against  any  man  who 
should  win  what  was  above  his  reach,  partly 
in  an  honest  anger  that  she,  whom  he  wor- 
shipped, should  be  treated  lightly  by  an- 
other ;  and  he  forced  her  to  hear  what  he 


236  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

had  learnt  from  the  gossip  of  the  Prince's 
groom,  telling  it  to  her  in  hints  and  half- 
spoken  sentences,  yet  so  plainly  that  she 
could  not  miss  the  gist  of  it. 

She  rode  the  faster  towards  Strelsau,  at 
first  answering  nothing;  but  at  last  she  turned 
on  him  fiercely,  saying  that  he  told  a  lie,  and 
that  she  knew  it  was  a  lie,  since  she  knew 
where  the  Prince  was,  and  what  business  had 
taken  him  away  ;  and  she  commanded  Chris- 
tian to  be  silent  and  to  speak  neither  to  her 
nor  to  any  one  else  of  his  false  suspicions  ; 
and  she  bade  him  very  harshly  to  fall  back 
and  ride  behind  her  again,  which  he  did, 
sullen  yet  satisfied.  For  he  knew  that  his 
arrow  had  gone  home.  On  she  rode,  with 
her  cheeks  aflame  and  her  heart  beating, 
until  she  came  to  Strelsau  ;  having  arrived 
at  the  Palace,  she  ran  to  her  own  bedroom 
and  flung  herself  on  the  bed. 

Here  for  an  hour  she  lay ;  then,  it  being 
about  six  o'clock,  she  sat  up,  pushing  her 
disordered  hair  back  from  her  hot  aching 
brow.  An  agony  of  humiliation  had  come 
upon  her,  and  a  fury  of  resentment  against 
the  Prince,  whose  coldness  seemed  now  to 
need  no  more  explanation.  Yet  she  could 
hardly  believe  what  she  had  been  told  of  him, 
for  though  she  had  not  loved  him,  she  had 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg*    237 

accorded  to  him  her  full  trust.  Rising,  she 
paced  in  pain  about  the  room.  She  could 
not  rest ;  she  cried  out  in  longing  that  her 
brother  were  there,  to  aid  her  and  find  out 
the  truth  for  her.  But  he  was  away,  and 
she  had  none  to  whom  she  could  turn.  So 
she  strove  to  master  her  anger  and  endure 
her  suspense  till  the  next  day,  but  they  were 
too  strong  for  her,  and  she  cried  : 

"  I  will  go  myself,  I  cannot  sleep  till  I 
know.  But  I  cannot  go  alone.  Who  will  go 
with  me  ?  "  But  she  knew  of  none,  for  she 
would  not  take  Christian  with  her,  and  she 
shrank  from  speaking  of  the  matter  to  any 
gentlemen  of  the  Court.  Yet  she  must 
know.  At  last  she  sprang  from  the  chair 
into  which  she  had  sunk  despondent,  ex- 
claiming : 

"  He  is  a  gentleman  and  my  friend.  He 
will  go  with  me."  And  she  sent  hastily  for 
the  Bishop  of  Modenstein,  who  was  then  in 
Strelsau,  bidding  him  come  dressed  for  rid- 
ing, with  a  sword,  and  on  the  best  horse  in 
his  stables.  The  Bishop  came  equipped  as 
she  bade  him,  and  in  very  great  wonder. 
But  when  she  told  what  she  wanted,  and 
what  Christian  had  made  known  to  her,  he 
grew  grave,  saying  that  they  must  wait  and 
consult  the  King,  when  he  returned. 


238  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  I  will  not  wait  an  hour,"  she  cried.  "  I 
cannot  wait  an  hour." 

"  Then  I  will  ride  and  bring  you  word. 
You  must  not  go,"  he  urged. 

"  Nay,  if  I  go  alone  I  will  go,"  said  she. 
"  Yes,  I  will  go,  and  myself  fling  his  false- 
ness in  his  teeth." 

Finding  her  thus  resolved,  the  Bishop 
knew  that  he  could  not  turn  her  ;  so,  leav- 
ing her  to  prepare  herself,  he  caught  Chris- 
tian Hantz,  and  charged  him  to  bring  their 
horses  to  the  most  private  gate  of  the  palace, 
which  opened  on  a  little  by-street.  Here 
Christian  waited  for  them  with  the  horses, 
and  they  came  presently,  the  Bishop  wear- 
ing a  great  slouched  hat,  and  swaggering 
like  a  roystering  trooper,  while  Osra  was 
closely  veiled.  The  Bishop  again  imposed 
secrecy  on  Christian,  and  then,  they  both 
being  mounted,  said  to  Osra  :  "  If  you  will 
then,  madame,  come,"  and  thus  they  rode 
secretly  out  of  the  city,  about  seven  in  the 
evening,  the  gate-wardens  opening  the  gate 
at  sight  of  the  Royal  Arms  on  Osra's  ring, 
which  she  gave  to  the  Bishop  in  order  that 
he  might  shew  it. 

In  silence  they  rode  a  long  way,  going 
at  a  great  speed ;  Osra's  face  was  set  and 
rigid,  for  she  felt  now  no  shame  at  herself 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg*    239 

for  going,  nor  any  fear  of  what  she  might 
find,  but  the  injury  to  her  pride  swallowed 
every  other  feeling  ;  and  at  last  she  said, 
in  short  sharp  words,  to  the  Bishop  of 
Modenstein,  having  suddenly  thrown  the 
veil  back  from  her  face  : 

"  He  shall  not  live  if  it  prove  true." 

The  Bishop  shook  his  head.  His  pro- 
fession was  peace ;  yet  his  blood  also  was 
hot  against  the  man  who  had  put  a  slight 
on  Princess  Osra. 

"  The  King  must  know  of  it,"  he  said. 

"  The  King  !  The  King  is  not  here  to- 
night," said  Osra ;  and  she  pricked  her 
horse  and  set  him  at  a  gallop.  The  moon, 
breaking  suddenly  in  brightness  from  be- 
hind a  cloud,  shewed  the  Bishop  her  face. 
Then  she  put  out  her  hand  and  caught 
him  by  the  arm,  whispering  :  "  Are  you  my 
friend?" 

"  Yes,  madame,"  said  he.  She  knew  well 
that  he  was  her  friend. 

"  Kill  him  for  me,  then  ;  kill  him  for  me." 

"  I  cannot  kill  him,"  said  the  Bishop.  "  I 
pray  God  it  may  prove  untrue." 

"  You  are  not  my  friend,  if  you  will  not 
kill  him,"  said  Osra  ;  and  she  turned  her 
face  away  and  rode  yet  more  quickly. 

At  last  they  came  in  sight  of  the  little 


240  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

house  standing  back  from  the  road  ;  and 
there  was  a  light  in  one  of  the  upper  win- 
dows. The  Bishop  heard  a  short  gasp 
break  from  Osra's  lips,  as  she  pointed  with 
her  whip  to  the  window.  Now  his  own 
breath  came  quick  and  fast  ;  he  prayed  to 
God  that  he  might  remember  his  sacred 
character  and  his  vows,  and  not  be  led  into 
great  and  deadly  sin,  at  the  bidding  of  that 
proud  and  bitter  face  ;  and  he  clenched  his 
left  hand  and  struck  his  brow  with  it. 

Thus  then  they  came  to  the  gate  of  the 
avenue  of  trees  that  led  to  the  house.  Here, 
having  dismounted  and  tied  their  horses  to 
the  gate-post,  they  stood  for  an  instant,  and 
Osra  again  veiled  her  face. 

"  Let  me  go  alone,  madame,"  he  implored. 

"  Give  me  your  sword,  and  I  will  go 
alone,"  she  answered. 

"  Here,  then,  is  the  path,"  said  the  Bishop, 
and  he  led  the  way  by  the  moonlight  that 
broke  fitfully  here  and  there  through  the 
trees. 

"  He  swore  that  all  his  life  should  be 
mine,"  she  whispered.  "  Yet  I  knew  that 
he  did  not  love  me." 

The  Bishop  made  her  no  answer ;  she 
looked  for  none  and  did  not  know  that  she 
spoke  the  bitterness  of  her  heart  in  words 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg*    241 

which  he  could  hear.  He  bowed  his  head 
and  prayed  again  for  her  and  for  himself  ; 
for  he  had  found  his  hand  gripping  the  hilt 
of  his  sword.  Thus,  side  by  side  now,  they 
came  to  the  door  of  the  house,  and  saw  a 
gentleman  standing  in  front  of  the  door, 
still  but  watchful.  Osra  knew  that  he  was 
the  Prince's  Chamberlain. 

When  the  Chamberlain  saw  them,  he 
started  violently  and  clapped  a  hand  to  his 
sword  ;  but  Osra  flung  her  veil  on  to  the 
ground,  and  the  Bishop  gripped  his  arm  as 
with  a  vice.  The  Chamberlain  looked  at 
Osra  and  at  the  Bishop,  and  half  drew  his 
sword. 

"  This  matter  is  too  great  for  you,  sir," 
said  the  Bishop.  "  It  is  a  quarrel  of  Princes. 
Stand  aside,"  and  before  the  Chamberlain 
could  make  up  his  mind  what  to  do  Osra 
had  passed  by  him  and  the  Bishop  had  fol- 
lowed her. 

Finding  themselves  in  a  narrow  passage, 
they  made  out  by  the  dim  light  of  a  lamp  a 
flight  of  stairs  that  rose  from  the  furthest 
end  of  it.  The  Bishop  tried  to  pass  the 
Princess,  but  she  motioned  him  back,  and 
walked  swiftly  to  the  stairs.  In  silence  they 
mounted,  till  they  had  reached  the  top  of 
the  first  stage ;  and  facing  them,  eight  or 


242  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra, 

ten  steps  further  up,  was  a  door.  By  the 
door  stood  a  groom  ;  this  was  the  man  who 
had  treacherously  told  Christian  of  his  mas- 
ter's doings  ;  but  when  he  saw  suddenly 
what  had  come  of  his  disloyal  chattering, 
the  fellow  turned  white  as  a  ghost  and 
came  tottering  in  stealthy  silence  down  the 
stairs,  his  finger  on  his  lips. 

Neither  of  them  spoke  to  him,  nor  he  to 
them.  They  gave  no  thought  to  him,  his 
only  thought  was  to  escape  as  soon  as  he 
might ;  so  he  passed  them,  and,  going  on, 
passed  also  the  Chamberlain,  who  stood 
dazed  at  the  house-door,  and  so  disap- 
peared, intent  on  saving  the  life  he  had 
justly  forfeited.  Thus  the  rogue  vanished, 
and  what  became  of  him  none  knew  or 
cared.  He  showed  his  face  no  more  at 
Glottenberg  or  Strelsau. 

"  Hark,  there  are  voices  !  "  whispered 
Osra  to  the  Bishop,  raising  her  hand  above 
her  head,  as  they  two  stood  listening. 

The  voices  came  from  the  door  that  faced 
them,  the  voice  of  a  man  and  the  voice  of  a 
woman  ;  Osra's  glance  at  her  companion 
told  him  that  she  knew  as  well  as  he  whose 
the  man's  voice  was. 

"  It  is  true,  then,"  she  breathed  from  be- 
tween her  teeth.  "  My  God,  it  is  true  !  " 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenbergf*     243 

The  woman's  voice  spoke  now,  but  the 
words  were  not  audible.  Then  came  the 
Prince's  : 

"  For  ever,  in  life  or  death,  apart  or  to- 
gether, for  ever." 

The  woman's  answer  came  no  more  in 
words,  but  in  deep  low  passionate  sobs 
which  struck  their  ears  like  the  distant  cry 
of  some  brute  creature  in  pain  that  it  can- 
not understand.  Yet  Osra's  face  was  stern 
and  cold,  and  her  lips  curled  scornfully  when 
she  saw  the  Bishop's  look  of  pity. 

"  Come,  let  us  end  it,"  said  she,  and  with 
a  firm  step  she  began  to  mount  the  stairs 
that  lay  between  them  and  the  door. 

Yet  once  again  they  paused  outside  the 
door,  for  it  seemed  as  though  the  Princess 
could  not  choose  but  listen  to  the  passionate 
words  of  love  that  pierced  her  ears  like 
knives  ;  yet  they  were  all  sad,  speaking  of 
renunciation,  not  of  happiness. 

But  at  last  she  heard  her  own  name ; 
then  with  a  sudden  start  she  caught  the 
Bishop's  hand,  for  she  could  not  listen 
longer.  She  staggered  and  reeled  as  she 
whispered  to  him  : 

"  The  door,  the  door,  open  the  door  ! " 

The  Bishop,  his  right  hand  being  across 
his  body  and  resting  on  the  hilt  of  his 


244  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

sword,  laid  his  left  upon  the  handle  of  the 
door,  and  turned  it.  Then  he  flung  the 
door  open  wide ;  at  that  instant  Osra 
sprang  past  him,  her  eyes  gleaming  like 
flames  from  her  dead  white  face.  And  she 
stood  rigid  on  the  threshold  of  the  room, 
with  the  Bishop  by  her  side. 

In  the  middle  of  the  room  stood  the 
Prince  of  Glottenberg  ;  strained  in  a  close 
embrace,  clinging  to  him,  supported  by  his 
arms,  with  head  buried  in  his  breast,  was  a 
girl  of  slight  and  slender  figure,  graceful 
though  not  tall  ;  her  body  was  still  shaken 
by  continual  struggling  sobs.  The  Prince 
held  her  there  as  though  against  the  world, 
but  raised  his  head  and  looked  at  the  in- 
truders with  a  grave  sad  air.  There  was 
no  shame  on  his  face,  and  hardly  surprise. 
Presently  he  took  one  arm  from  about  the 
lady,  and,  raising  it,  motioned  to  them  to 
be  still.  Osra  took  one  step  forward  to- 
wards where  the  pair  stood  ;  the  Bishop 
caught  her  sleeve,  but  she  shook  him  off. 
The  lady  looked  up  into  the  Prince's  face ; 
with  a  sudden  startled  cry  she  clutched 
him  closer,  and  turned  a  terrified  face  over 
her  shoulder.  Then  she  moaned  in  great 
fear,  and,  reeling,  fell  against  the  Prince  ; 
she  would  have  sunk  to  the  ground  if  he 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg*    245 

had  not  upheld  her,  and  her  eyes  closed 
and  her  lip  dropped,  as  she  swooned  away. 
But  the  Princess  smiled,  and,  drawing  her- 
self to  her  full  height,  stood  watching 
while  Ludwig  bore  the  lady  to  a  couch 
and  laid  her  there.  Then,  when  he  came 
back  and  faced  her,  she  asked  coldly  and 
slowly  : 

"  Who  is  this  woman,  sir  ?  Or  is  she  one 
of  those  who  have  no  names  ?  " 

The  Prince  sprang  forward,  a  sudden 
anger  in  his  eyes ;  he  raised  his  hand  as  if 
he  would  have  pressed  it  across  her  scorn- 
ful mouth  and  kept  back  her  bitter  words. 
But  she  did  not  flinch  ;  pointing  at  him 
with  her  finger,  she  cried  to  the  Bishop  in 
a  ringing  voice  : 

"  Kill  him,  my  lord,  kill  him." 

And  the  sword  of  the  Bishop  of  Moden- 
stein  was  half  way  out  of  the  scabbard. 

"  I  would  to  God,  my  lord,"  said  the 
Prince  in  low  sad  tones,  "that  God  would 
suffer  you  to  kill  me  and  me  to  take  death 
at  your  hands.  But  neither  for  you  nor  for 
me  is  the  blow  lawful.  Let  me  speak  to 
the  Princess." 

The  Bishop  still  grasped  his  sword  ;  for 
Osra's  face  and  hand  still  commanded  him. 
But  at  the  instant  of  his  hesitation,  while 


246  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

the  temptation  was  hot  on  him,  there  came 
from  the  couch  where  the  lady  lay  a  low 
moan  of  great  pain.  She  flung  her  arms 
out  and  turned,  groaning  again,  on  her 
back  and  her  head  lay  hanging  over  the 
side  of  the  couch.  The  Bishop's  eyes  met 
Ludwig's,  and  with  a  "  God  forgive  me ! " 
he  let  the  sword  slip  back,  and,  springing 
across  the  room,  fell  on  his  knees  beside 
the  couch.  He  broke  the  gold  chain  round 
his  neck  and  grasped  the  crucifix  which  it 
carried  in  one  hand,  while  with  the  other 
he  raised  the  lady's  head,  praying  her  to 
open  her  eyes,  before  whose  closed  lids  he 
held  the  sacred  image  ;  and  he,  who  had 
come  so  near  to  great  sin,  now  prayed 
softly  but  fervently  for  her  life  and  God's 
pity  on  her ;  for  the  frailty  her  slight  form 
showed  could  not  withstand  the  shock  of 
this  trial. 

"  Who  is  she  ?  "  asked  the  Princess. 

But  Ludwig's  eyes  had  wandered  back  to 
the  couch,  and  he  answered  only  : 

"  My  God,  it  will  kill  her." 

"  I  care  not,"  said  Osra.  But  then  came 
another  low  moan.  "  I  care  not,"  said  the 
Princess  again.  "  Ah,  she  is  in  great 
suffering ! "  And  her  eyes  followed  the 
Prince's. 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg,    247 

There  was  silence,  save  for  the  lady's  low 
moans  and  the  whispered  prayers  of  the 
Bishop  of  Modenstein.  But  the  lady 
opened  her  eyes,  and  in  an  instant,  answer- 
ing the  summons,  the  Prince  was  by  her 
side,  kneeling  and  holding  her  hand  very 
tenderly  ;  and  he  met  a  glance  from  the 
Bishop  across  her  prostrate  body.  The 
Prince  bowed  his  head  and  one  sob  burst 
from  him. 

"  Leave  me  alone  with  her  for  a  little, 
sir,"  said  the  Bishop,  and  the  Prince,  obey- 
ing, rose  and  withdrew  into  the  bay  of  the 
window,  while  Osra  stood  alone  near  the 
door  by  which  she  had  entered. 

A  few  minutes  passed,  then  Osra  saw  the 
Prince  return  to  where  the  lady  was  and 
kneel  again  beside  her  ;  and  she  saw  that 
the  Bishop  was  preparing  to  perform  his 
most  sacred  and  sublime  office  ;  the  lady's 
eyes  dwelt  on  him  now  in  peace  and  rest- 
fulness,  and  she  held  Prince  Ludwig's  hand 
in  her  small  hand.  But  Osra  would  not 
kneel ;  she  stood  upright,  still  and  cold,  as 
though  she  neither  saw  nor  heard  anything 
of  what  passed  ;  she  would  not  pity  nor 
forgive  the  woman,  even  if,  as  they  seemed 
to  think,  she  lay  dying.  But  she  spoke 
once,  asking  in  a  harsh  voice : 


248  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  Is  there  no  physician  in  the  house  or 
near?" 

"  None,  madame,"  said  the  Prince. 

The  Bishop  began  the  office,  and  Osra 
stood,  dimly  hearing  the  words  of  comfort, 
peace,  and  hope,  dimly  seeing  the  smile  on 
the  lady's  face  ;  for  gradually  her  eyes 
clouded  with  tears.  Now  her  ears  seemed 
to  hear  nothing  save  the  sad  and  piteous 
sobs  that  had  shaken  the  girl  as  she  hung 
about  Ludwig's  neck.  But  she  strove  to 
drive  away  her  softer  thoughts,  fanning  her 
fury  when  it  burnt  low,  and  telling  herself 
again  of  the  insult  that  she  had  suffered. 
Thus  she  rested  till  the  Bishop  had  per- 
formed the  office.  But  when  he  had  finished 
it,  he  rose  from  his  knees  and  came  to 
where  Osra  was. 

"  It  was  your  duty,"  she  said,  "  but  it  is 
none  of  mine." 

"  She  will  not  live  an  hour,"  said  he. 
"  For  she  had  an  affection  of  the  heart,  and 
this  shock  has  killed  her.  Indeed  I  think 
she  was  half  dead  for  grief  before  we  came." 

"  Who  is  she  ?  "  broke  again  from  Osra's 
lips. 

"  Come  and  hear,"  said  he,  and  she  fol- 
lowed him  obediently,  yet  unwillingly,  to 
the  couch,  and  looked  down  at  the  lady. 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg.     249 

The  lady  looked  at  her  with  wondering 
eyes,  and  then  she  smiled  faintly,  pressing 
the  Prince's  hand,  and  whispering  : 

"Yet  she  is  so  beautiful."  And  she 
seemed  now  wonderfully  happy,  so  that  they 
three  all  watched  her  and  were  envious, 
although  they  were  to  live  and  she  to  die. 

"  Now  God  pardon  her  sin  !  "  said  the 
Princess  Osra  suddenly,  and  she  fell  on  her 
knees  beside  the  couch,  crying :  "  Surely 
God  has  pardoned  her  !  " 

"  Sin  she  has  none,  save  what  clings  even 
to  the  purest  in  this  world,"  said  the  Bis- 
hop. "  For  what  she  has  said  to  me  I  know 
to  be  true." 

Osra  answered  nothing,  but  gazed  in 
questioning  at  the  Prince,  and  he,  still  hold- 
ing the  lady's  hand,  began  to  speak  in  a 
gentle  voice  : 

"  Do  not  ask  her  name,  madame.  But 
from  the  first  hour  that  we  knew  the  mean- 
ing of  love  we  have  loved  one  another.  And 
had  the  issue  rested  in  my  hands,  I  would 
have  thrown  to  the  winds  all  that  kept  me 
from  her.  I  remember  when  first  I  met 
her — ah,  my  sweet,  do  you  remember  ? 
From  that  day  to  this  in  soul  she  has  been 
mine,  and  I  hers  in  all  my  life.  But  more 
could  not  be.  Madame,  you  have  asked 


2 so  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

what  love  is.  Here  is  love.  Yet  fate  is 
stronger.  Thus  I  came  to  Strelsau  to  woo, 
and  she,  left  alone,  resolved  to  give  herself 
to  God." 

"  How  comes  she  here,  then  ?  "  whispered 
Osra,  and  she  laid  one  hand  timidly  on  the 
couch,  near  to  the  lady  yet  not  so  as  to 
touch  even  her  garments. 

11  She  came  here — "  he  began  ;  but  sud- 
denly, to  their  amazement,  the  lady,  who 
had  seemed  dead,  with  an  effort  raised  her- 
self on  her  elbow,  and  spoke  in  a  quick  eager 
whisper,  as  if  she  feared  time  and  strength 
would  fail. 

11  He  is  a  great  Prince,"  she  said,  "  he 
must  be  a  great  King ;  God  means  him  for 
greatness,  God  forbid  that  I  should  be  his 
ruin.  Ah,  what  a  sweet  dream  he  painted  ! 
But  praise  be  to  the  Blessed  Saints  who 
kept  me  strong.  Yet  at  the  last  I  was 
weak.  I  could  not  live  without  another 
sight  of  his  face  ;  and  so — I  came.  Next 
week  I  am — I  was  to  take  the  veil ;  and  I 
came  here  to  see  him  once  again.  God 
pardon  me  for  it.  But  I  could  not  help  it. 
Ah,  madame,  I  know  you,  and  I  see  now 
your  beauty.  Have  you  known  love  ?" 

"  No,"  said  Osra ;  and  she  moved  her 
hand  near  to  the  lady's  hand. 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Giottenberg.    251 

"  When  he  found  me  here,  he  prayed  me 
again  to  do  what  he  asked  ;  and  I  was  half 
killed  in  denying  it.  But  I  prevailed,  and 
we  were  even  then  parting  when  you  came. 
Why,  why  did  I  come  ? "  For  a  moment 
her  voice  died  away  in  a  low  soft  moan. 
But  she  made  one  more  effort ;  clasping 
Osra's  hand  in  her  delicate  fingers,  she  whis- 
pered :  "  I  am  going.  Be  his  wife." 

"  No,  no,  no,"  whispered  Osra,  her  face 
now  close  to  the  lady's.  "  You  must  live ; 
you  must  live  and  be  happy." 

And  then  she  kissed  the  lady's  lips.  The 
lady  put  out  her  arms  and  clasped  them 
round  Osra's  neck,  and  again  she  whispered 
softly  in  Osra's  ear.  Neither  Ludwig  nor 
the  Bishop  heard  what  she  said,  but  they 
heard  only  that  Osra  sobbed.  Presently 
the  lady's  arms  relaxed  a  little  in  their  hold, 
and  Osra,  having  kissed  her  again,  rose  and 
signed  to  Ludwig  to  come  nearer  ;  while  she, 
turning,  gave  her  hand  to  the  Bishop,  and 
he  led  her  from  the  room,  and,  finding 
another  room  near,  took  her  in  there,  where 
she  sat,  silent  and  pale. 

Thus  half  an  hour  passed  ;  then  the  Bishop 
stole  out  softly,  and  presently  returned, 
saying : 

"  God   has   spared  her  the  long  painful 


252  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

path,  and  has  taken  her  straight  to  His 
rest." 

Osra  heard  him,  half  in  a  trance  and  as 
if  she  did  not  hear  ;  she  did  not  know  where 
he  went  nor  what  he  did,  nor  anything  that 
passed,  until,  as  it  seemed  after  a  long 
while,  she  looked  up  and  saw  Prince  Lud- 
wig  standing  before  her.  He  was  composed 
and  calm ;  but  it  seemed  as  if  half  the 
life  had  gone  out  of  his  face.  Osra  rose 
slowly  to  her  feet,  supporting  herself  on  an 
arm  of  the  chair  on  which  she  had  sat ;  and, 
when  she  had  seen  his  face,  she  suddenly 
threw  herself  on  the  floor  at  his  feet,  cry- 
ing: 

"  Forgive  me,  forgive  me  !' 

"  The  guilt  is  mine,"  said  he,  "  I  did  not 
trust  you  and  did  by  stealth  what  your 
nobility  would  have  allowed  me  to  do 
openly.  The  guilt  is  mine."  And  he  offered 
to  raise  her.  But  she  rose,  unaided,  asking 
with  choking  voice  : 

-Is  she  dead?" 

"  She  is  dead,"  said  the  Prince,  and  Osra, 
hearing  it,  covered  her  face  with  her  hands 
and  blindly  groped  her  way  back  to  the 
chair,  where  she  sat,  panting  and  exhausted. 

"  To  her  I  have  said  farewell,  and  now, 
madame,  to  you.  Yet  do  not  think  that  I 


FORGIVE  ME,    FORGIVE  ME  !  '  V — Page  252. 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg.    253 

am  a  man  without  eyes  for  your  beauty,  or 
a  heart  to  know  your  worth.  I  seemed  to 
you  a  fool  and  a  churl.  I  grieved  most 
bitterly,  and  I  wronged  you  bitterly.  My 
excuse  for  all  is  now  known.  For  though 
you  are  more  beautiful  than  she,  yet  true 
love  is  no  wanderer  ;  it  gives  a  beauty  that 
it  does  not  find,  and  forges  a  chain  no 
charms  can  break.  Madame,  farewell." 

She  looked  at  him  and  saw  the  sad  joy  in 
his  eyes,  an  exultation  over  what  had  been, 
that  what  was  could  not  destroy  ;  and  she 
knew  that  the  vision  was  still  with  him 
though  his  love  was  dead.  Suddenly  he 
seemed  to  her  a  man  she  also  might  love  and 
for  whom  she  also,  if  need  be,  might  gladly 
die ;  yet  not  because  she  loved  him,  for 
she  was  asking  still  in  wonder  :  "  What  is 
this  love  ?  " 

"  Madame,  farewell,"  said  he  again,  and, 
kneeling  before  her,  he  kissed  her  hand. 

"  I  carry  the  body  of  my  love,"  he  went 
on,  "  back  with  me  to  my  home,  there  to 
mourn  for  her  ;  and  I  shall  come  no  more  to 
Strelsau." 

Osra  bent  her  eyes  on  his  face  as  he  knelt, 
and  presently  she  said  to  him  in  a  whisper 
that  was  low  for  awe,  not  shame : 

"  You  heard  what  she  bade  me  do  ?  " 


254  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra» 

"  Yes,  madame.     I  know  her  wish." 

"  And  you  would  do  it  ?  "  she  asked. 

11  Madame,  my  struggle  was  fought  before 
she  died.  But  now  you  know  that  my  love 
was  not  yours." 

"  That  also  I  knew  before,  sir,"  and  a 
slight  bitter  smile  came  on  her  face.  But 
she  grew  grave  again  and  sat  there,  seeming 
to  be  pondering,  while  Prince  Ludwig 
waited.  Then  she  suddenly  leant  forward 
and  said  : 

"  If  I  loved  I  would  wait  for  you  to  love. 
Now  what  is  this  love  that  I  cannot  feel  ?  " 

And  then  she  sat  again  silent,  but  at  last 
raised  her  eyes  again  to  his,  saying  in  a 
voice  that  even  in  the  stillness  of  the  room 
he  hardly  heard  : 

"  Now  I  nearly  love  you,  for  I  have  seen 
your  love  and  know  that  you  can  love ; 
and  I  think  that  love  must  breed  love,  so 
that  she  who  loves  must  in  God's  time  be 

beloved.  Yet  I "  She  paused  here, 

and  for  a  moment  hid  her  face  with  her 
hand.  "  Yet  I  cannot,"  she  went  on.  "  Is 
it  our  Lord  Christ  who  bids  us  take  the 
lower  place?  I  cannot  take  it.  He  does 
not  so  reign  in  my  heart.  For  to  my  proud 
heart — ah,  my  heart  so  proud  ! — she  would 
be  ever  between  us.  I  could  not  bear  it. 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg,    255 

Yet  I  believe  now  that  with  you  I  might 
one  day  find  happiness." 

The  Prince,  though  in  that  hour  he  could 
not  think  of  love,  was  yet  very  much  moved 
by  her  new  tenderness  and  felt  that  what 
had  passed  rather  drew  them  together  than 
made  any  separation  between  them.  And 
it  seemed  to  him  that  the  dead  lady's  bless- 
ing was  on  his  suit ;  so  he  said  : 

"  Madame,  I  would  most  faithfully  serve 
you  and  you  would  be  nearest  and  dearest 
to  me  of  all  living  women." 

She  waited  awhile,  then  she  sighed  heavily, 
looking  in  his  face  with  an  air  of  wistful 
longing  ;  and  she  knit  her  brows  as  though 
she  were  puzzled.  But  at  last,  shaking  her 
head,  she  said  : 

"  It  is  not  enough." 

With  this  she  rose  and  took  him  by  the 
hand,  and  they  two  went  back  together  to 
where  the  Bishop  of  Modenstein  still  prayed 
beside  the  body  of  the  lady. 

Osra  stood  on  one  side  of  the  body  and 
stretched  her  hand  out  to  the  Prince  who 
stood  on  the  other  side. 

u  See,"  said  she,  "  she  must  be  between 
us."  And  having  kissed  the  dead  face 
once,  she  left  the  Prince  there  by  the  side  of 
his  love  and  herself  went  out ;  and,  turning 


256  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

her  head,  she  saw  that  the  Prince  knelt  again 
by  the  corpse  of  his  love. 

"  He  does  not  think  of  me,"  she  said  to 
the  Bishop. 

"  His  thoughts  are  still  with  her,  madame," 
he  answered. 

It  was  late  night  now,  and  they  rode 
swiftly  and  silently  along  the  road  to  Strel- 
sau.  On  all  the  way  they  spoke  to  one 
another  only  a  few  words,  both  being  sunk 
deep  in  thought.  But  once  Osra  spoke,  as 
they  were  already  near  to  Strelsau.  For 
she  turned  suddenly  to  the  Bishop,  saying  : 

"  My  lord,  what  is  it  ?     Do  you  know  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  madame,  I  have  known  it," 
answered  the  Bishop. 

"  Yet  you  are  a  Churchman  !  " 

"True,  madame,"  said  he,  and  he  smiled 
sadly. 

She  seemed  to  consider,  fixing  her  eyes 
on  his  ;  but  he  turned  his  aside. 

"  Could  you  not  make  me  understand?" 
she  asked. 

"  Your  lover,  when  he  comes,  will  do 
that,  madame,"  said  he,  and  still  he  kept 
his  eyes  averted.  Osra  wondered  why  he 
kept  his  eyes  turned  away  ;  yet  presently 
a  faint  smile  curved  her  lips,  and  she  said  : 

"It  may  be  you  might  feel  it,  if  you  were 


The  Love  of  the  Prince  of  Glottenberg.    257 

not  a  Churchman.  But  I  do  not.  Many 
men  have  said  they  loved  me,  and  I  have 
felt  something  in  my  heart  ;  but  not  this." 

"  It  will  come,"  said  the  Bishop. 

"  Does  it  come  then  to  every  one  ?" 

"  To  most,"  he  answered. 

"  Heigho,  will  it  ever  come  to  me?  "  she 
sighed. 

With  this  they  were  at  home.  And  Osra 
was  for  a  long  time  very  sorrowful  for  the 
fate  of  the  lady  whom  the  Prince  of  Glotten- 
berg  had  loved  ;  yet,  since  she  saw  Ludwig 
no  more,  and  the  joy  of  youth  conquers 
sadness,  she  ceased  to  mourn ;  but  as  she 
walked  alone  she  would  wonder  more  and 
more  what  it  might  be,  this  great  love  that 
she  did  not  feel. 

"For  none  will  tell  me,  not  even  the 
Bishop  of  Modenstein,"  said  she. 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mittenheim. 

KING  RUDOLF,  being  in  the  worst  of 
humours,  had  declared  in  the  presence  of 
all  the  Court  that  women  were  born  to 
plague  men  and  for  no  other  purpose  what- 
soever under  heaven.  Hearing  this  dis- 
courteous speech,  the  Princess  Osra  rose  and 
said  that  for  her  part  she  would  go  walking 
alone  by  the  river  outside  the  city  gates, 
where  at  least  she  would  be  assailed  by  no 
more  reproaches.  For  since  she  was  irrevoc- 
ably determined  to  live  and  die  unmarried, 
of  what  use  or  benefit  was  it  to  trouble  her 
with  embassies,  courting,  or  proposals  from 
either  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mittenheim  or 
anybody  else  ?  She  was  utterly  weary  of 
this  matter  of  love,  and  her  mood  would  be 
unchanged  though  this  new  suitor  were  as 
exalted  as  the  King  of  France,  as  rich  as 
Crcesus  himself,  and  as  handsome  as  the  god 
Apollo.  She  did  not  desire  a  husband, 
and  there  was  an  end  of  it.  Thus  she  went 


A    YOUNG    MAN    SPRANG   UP,    AND,    WITH     A     LOW    BOW,    DRKW    ASIDK    TO    LET    HER 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         259 

out,  while  the  Queen  sighed,  and  the  King 
fumed,  and  the  courtiers  and  ladies  said  to 
one  another  that  these  dissensions  made 
life  very  uncomfortable  at  Strelsau,  the 
ladies  further  adding  that  he  would  be  a 
bold  man  who  married  Osra,  although  doubt- 
less she  was  not  ill-looking. 

To  the  banks  of  the  river  outside  the 
walls  then  Osra  went ;  and  as  she  went  she 
seemed  to  be  thinking  of  nothing  at  all  in 
the  world,  least  of  all  of  whom  she  might 
chance  to  meet  there  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  where  in  those  busy  hours  of  the  day 
few  came.  Yet  there  was  a  strange  new 
light  in  her  eyes,  and  there  seemed  a  new 
understanding  in  her  mind ;  and  when  a 
young  peasant  wife  came  by,  her  baby  in 
her  arms,  Osra  stopped  her,  and  kissed  the 
child  and  gave  money,  and  then  ran  on  in 
unexplained  confusion,  laughing  and  blush- 
ing as  though  she  had  done  something 
which  she  did  not  wish  to  be  seen.  Then 
without  reason  her  eyes  filled  with  tears, 
but  she  dashed  them  away  and  burst  sud- 
denly into  singing.  And  she  was  still  sing- 
ing when,  from  the  long  grass  by  the  river's 
edge,  a  young  man  sprang  up,  and,  with  a 
very  low  bow,  drew  aside  to  let  her  pass. 
He  had  a  book  in  his  hand,  for  he  was' a 


260  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

student  at  the  University,  and  came  there 
to  pursue  his  learning  in  peace  ;  his  plain 
brown  clothes  spoke  of  no  wealth  or  station, 
though  certainly  they  set  off  a  stalwart 
straight  shape  and  seemed  to  match  well 
with  his  bright  brown  hair  and  hazel  eyes. 
Very  low  this  young  man  bowed  and  Osra 
bent  her  head.  The  pace  of  her  walk 
slowed,  grew  quicker,  slowed  again  ;  she  was 
past  him,  and  with  a  great  sigh  he  lay  down 
again.  She  turned,  he  sprang  up  ;  she  spoke 
coldly,  yet  kindly. 

"  Sir,"  said  she,  "  I  cannot  but  notice  that 
you  lie  every  day  here  by  the  river  with  your 
book,  and  that  you  sigh.  Tell  me  your 
trouble,  and  if  I  can  I  will  relieve  it." 

"  I  am  reading,  madame,"  he  answered, 
"  of  Helen  of  Troy,  and  I  am  sighing  be- 
cause she  is  dead." 

"It  is  an  old  grief  by  now,"  said  Osra, 
smiling.  "  Will  none  serve  you  but  Helen 
of  Troy  ?  " 

"  If  I  were  a  Prince,"  said  he,  "  I  need 
not  mourn." 

"No,  sir?" 

"  No,  madame,"  he  said,  with  another  bow. 

"  Farewell,  sir." 

"  Madame,  farewell." 

So  she  went  on  her  way,  and  saw  him  no 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         261 

more  till  the  next  day,  nor  after  that  till  the 
next  day  following  ;  and  then  came  an  in- 
terval when  she  saw  him  not,  and  the  inter- 
val was  no  less  than  twenty-four  hours  ;  yet 
still  he  read  of  Helen  of  Troy,  and  still 
sighed  because  she  was  dead,  and  he  no 
Prince.  At  last  he  tempted  the  longed-for 
question  from  Osra's  shy  smiling  lips. 

"Why  would  you  not  mourn,  sir,  if  you 
were  a  Prince  ?"  said  she.  "For  Princes 
and  Princesses  have  their  share  of  sighs." 
And  with  a  very  plaintive  sigh  Osra  looked 
at  the  rapid  running  river,  as  she  waited  for 
his  answer. 

"  Because  then  I  would  go  to  Strelsau 
and  so  forget  her." 

"  But  you  are  at  Strelsau  now  ! "  she  cried 
with  wondering  surprise. 

"Ah,  but  I  am  no  Prince,  madame,"  said 
he. 

"  Can  Princes  alone — forget  in  Strelsau  ?  " 

"  How  should  a  poor  student  dare  to— 
forget  in  Strelsau  ?  "  As  he  spoke  he  made 
bold  to  step  near  her  and  stood  close,  look- 
ing down  into  her  face.  Without  a  word 
she  turned  and  left  him,  going  through  the 
meadow  with  a  step  that  seemed  to  dance 
and  yet  led  her  to  her  own  chamber,  where 
she  could  weep  in  quiet. 


262  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  I  know  it  now,  I  know  it  now,"  she 
whispered  softly  that  night  to  the  tree  which 
rose  by  her  window.  "  Heigho,  what  am  I 
to  do  ?  I  cannot  live,  no,  and  now  I  cannot 
die.  Ah  me,  what  am  I  to  do  ?  I  wish  I 
were  a  peasant  girl  ;  but  then  perhaps  he 
would  not — ah,  yes,  but  he  would  ! "  And 
her  low  long  laugh  rippled  in  triumph 
through  the  night,  blending  sweetly  with 
the  rustling  of  the  leaves  under  a  summer 
breeze  ;  and  she  stretched  her  white  arms  to 
heaven,  imploring  the  kind  God  with  prayers 
that  she  dared  not  speak  even  to  His  pitiful 
ear. 

"  Love  knows  no  Princesses,  my  Prin- 
cess." It  was  that  she  heard  as  she  fled  from 
him  next  day.  She  should  have  rebuked 
him.  But  for  that  she  must  have  stayed  ; 
and  to  stay  she  had  not  dared.  But  she 
must  rebuke  him.  She  would  see  him  again 
in  order  to  rebuke  him.  Yet  all  this  while 
she  must  be  pestered  with  the  court  of  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Mittenheim  !  And  when  she 
would  not  name  a  day  on  which  the  em- 
bassy should  come,  the  King  flew  into  a 
passion,  and  declared  that  he  himself  would 
set  a  date  for  it.  Was  his  sister  mad,  he 
asked,  that  she  would  do  nothing  but  walk 
every  day  by  the  river's  bank  ?  "  Surely  I 


'"YOU  ARE  THE  BEAUTY  OF  THE  WORLD,'  HK  ANSWERED  SMILING."—  Page  26j. 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         263 

must  be  mad,"  thought  Osra ;  for  no  sane 
being  could  be  at  once  so  joyful  and  so 
piteously  unhappy. 

Did  he  know  what  it  was  he  asked  ?  He 
seemed  to  know  nothing  of  it.  He  did  not 
speak  any  more  now  of  Princesses,  only  of 
his  Princess,  nor  of  Queens,  save  of  his 
heart's  queen  ;  and  when  his  eyes  asked  love, 
they  asked  as  though  none  would  refuse  and 
•  there  could  be  no  cause  for  refusal.  He 
would  have  wooed  his  neighbour's  daughter 
thus,  and  thus  he  wooed  the  sister  of  King 
Rudolf. 

"  Will  you  love  me  ?  "  was  his  question, 
not,  "  Though  you  love,  yet  dare  you  own 
your  love  ?  "  He  seemed  to  shut  the  whole 
world  from  her,  leaving  nothing  but  her  and 
him  ;  and  in  a  world  that  held  none  but  her 
and  him,  she  could  love,  unblamed,  un- 
troubled, and  with  no  trembling. 

"  You  forget  who  I  am,"  she  faltered 
once. 

"You  are  the  beauty  of  the  world,"  he 
answered  smiling,  and  he  kissed  her  hand— 
a  matter  about  which  she  could  make   no 
great  ado,  for  it  was  not  the  first  time  that 
he  had  kissed  it. 

But  the  embassy  from  the  Grand  Duke 
was  to  come  in  a  week  and  to  be  received 


264  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

with  great  pomp.  The  ambassador  was 
already  on  the  way,  carrying  proposals  and 
gifts.  Therefore  Osra  went  pale  and  sad 
down  to  the  river  bank  that  day,  having 
declared  again  to  the  King  that  she  would 
live  and  die  unmarried.  But  the  King  had 
laughed  cruelly.  Surely  she  needed  kind- 
ness and  consolation  that  sad  day  ;  yet  Fate 
had  kept  for  her  a  crowning  sorrow ;  for 
she  found  him  also  almost  sad  ;  at  least  she 
could  not  tell  whether  he  was  sad  or  not. 
For  he  smiled  and  yet  seemed  ill  at  ease, 
like  a  man  who  ventures  a  fall  with  fortune, 
hoping  and  fearing.  And  he  said  to  her  : 

"  Madame,  in  a  week  I  return  to  my  own 
country." 

She  looked  at  him  in  silence  with  lips 
just  parted.  For  her  life  she  could  not 
speak  ;  but  the  sun  grew  dark  and  the  river 
changed  its  merry  tune  to  mournful  dirges. 

"  So  the  dream  ends,"  said  he.  "  So 
comes  the  awakening.  But  if  life  were  all 
a  dream  ?  "  His  eyes  sought  hers. 

"  Yes,"  she  whispered,  "  if  life  were  all  a 
dream,  sir  ?" 

"  Then  I  should  dream  of  two  dreamers 
whose  dream  was  one,  and  in  that  dream  I 
should  see  them  ride  together  at  break  of 
day  from  Strelsau." 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke.         265 

"  Whither  ?  "  she  murmured. 

"  To  Paradise,"  said  he.  "  But  the 

dream  ends.  If  it  did  not  end "  He 

paused. 

"  If  it  did  not  end  ?  "  a  breathless  longing 
whisper  echoed. 

"  If  it  did  not  end  now,  it  should  not  end 
even  with  death,"  said  he. 

"  You  see  them  in  your  dream  ?  You 
see  them  riding?" 

"  Aye,  swiftly,  side  by  side,  they  two 
alone,  through  the  morning.  None  is  near  ; 
none  knows." 

He  seemed  to  be  searching  her  face  for 
something  that  yet  he  scarcely  hoped  to 
find. 

"  Their  dream,"  said  he,  "  brings  them  at 
last  to  a  small  cottage  ;  it  is  where  they 
live." 

"  They  live?" 

"  And  work,"  he  added.  "  For  she  keeps 
his  home  while  he  works." 

"  What  does  she  do  ?"  asked  Osra,  with 
smiling  wondering  eyes. 

"  She  gets  his  supper  for  him  when  he 
comes  home  weary  in  the  evening,  and 
makes  a  bright  fire,  and— 

"  Ah,  and  she  runs  to  meet  him  at  the 
door  !  Oh,  farther  than  the  door  ! " 


268  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

man  were  only  firm  enough  and  kept  his 
temper  (which,  by  the  way,  the  King  had 
not  done,  though  none  dared  say  so),  he 
could  bring  any  foolish  girl  to  reason  in 
good  time.  For  in  the  softest  voice,  and 
with  the  strangest  smile  flitting  to  her  face, 
the  Princess  Osra  was  pleased  to  bid  the 
embassy  come  on  the  fifth  day  from  then. 

<4  They  shall  have  their  answer  then,"  said 
she,  flushing  and  smiling. 

"  It  is  as  much  as  any  lady  could  say,"  the 
Court  declared  ;  and  it  was  reported  through 
all  Strelsau  that  the  match  was  as  good  as 
made,  and  that  Osra  was  to  be  Grand 
Duchess  of  Mittenheim. 

"  She's  a  sensible  girl  after  all,"  cried 
Rudolf,  all  his  anger  gone. 

The  dream  began  then,  before  they  came 
to  the  cottage.  Those  days  she  lived  in  its 
golden  mists,  that  shut  out  all  the  cold 
world  from  her,  moving  through  space  which 
held  but  one  form,  and  time  that  stood  still 
waiting  for  one  divine  unending  moment. 
And  the  embassy  drew  near  to  Strelsau. 

It  was  night,  the  dead  of  night,  and  all 
was  still  in  the  Palace.  But  the  sentinel  by 
the  little  gate  was  at  his  post,  and  the  gate- 
warden  stood  by  the  Western  Gate  of  the 
city.  Each  was  now  alone,  but  to  each,  an 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke.         269 

hour  ago,  a  man  had  come  stealthily  and 
silently  through  the  darkness ;  and  each 
was  richer  by  a  bag  of  gold  than  he  had 
been  before.  The  gold  was  Osra's — how 
should  a  poor  student,  whose  whole  fortune 
was  two  horses,  scatter  bags  of  gold  ?  And 
other  gold  Osra  had,  aye,  five  hundred 
crowns.  Would  not  that  be  a  brave  sur- 
. prise  for  the  poor  student  ?  And  she,  alone 
of  all  awake,  stood  looking  round  her  room, 
entranced  with  the  last  aspect  of  it.  Over 
the  city  also  she  looked,  but  in  the  selfish- 
ness of  her  joy  did  no  more  than  kiss  a 
hasty  farewell  to  the  good  city  folk  who 
loved  her.  Once  she  thought  that  maybe, 
some  day,  he  and  she  would  steal  together 
back  to  Strelsau,  and  sheltered  by  some 
disguise  watch  the  King  ride  in  splendour 
through  the  streets.  But  if  not — why,  what 
was  Strelsau,  and  the  people,  and  the  rest  ? 
Ah,  how  long  the  hours  were,  before  those 
two  horses  stood  by  the  little  gate,  and  the 
sentry  and  the  gate-warden  earned  their 
bags  of  gold  !  So  she  passed  the  hours,  the 
last  long  lingering  hours. 

There  was  a  little  tavern  buried  in  the 
narrowest  oldest  street  of  the  city.  Here 
the  poor  student  had  lodged ;  here,  in  the 
back  room,  a  man  sat  at  a  table,  and  two 


268  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

man  were  only  firm  enough  and  kept  his 
temper  (which,  by  the  way,  the  King  had 
not  done,  though  none  dared  say  so),  he 
could  bring  any  foolish  girl  to  reason  in 
good  time.  For  in  the  softest  voice,  and 
with  the  strangest  smile  flitting  to  her  face, 
the  Princess  Osra  was  pleased  to  bid  the 
embassy  come  on  the  fifth  day  from  then. 

"  They  shall  have  their  answer  then,"  said 
she,  flushing  and  smiling. 

"  It  is  as  much  as  any  lady  could  say,"  the 
Court  declared  ;  and  it  was  reported  through 
all  Strelsau  that  the  match  was  as  good  as 
made,  and  that  Osra  was  to  be  Grand 
Duchess  of  Mittenheim. 

"  She's  a  sensible  girl  after  all,"  cried 
Rudolf,  all  his  anger  gone. 

The  dream  began  then,  before  they  came 
to  the  cottage.  Those  days  she  lived  in  its 
golden  mists,  that  shut  out  all  the  cold 
world  from  her,  moving  through  space  which 
held  but  one  form,  and  time  that  stood  still 
waiting  for  one  divine  unending  moment. 
And  the  embassy  drew  near  to  Strelsau. 

It  was  night,  the  dead  of  night,  and  all 
was  still  in  the  Palace.  But  the  sentinel  by 
the  little  gate  was  at  his  post,  and  the  gate- 
warden  stood  by  the  Western  Gate  of  the 
city.  Each  was  now  alone,  but  to  each,  an 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*          269 

hour  ago,  a  man  had  come  stealthily  and 
silently  through  the  darkness ;  and  each 
was  richer  by  a  bag  of  gold  than  he  had 
been  before.  The  gold  was  Osra's — how 
should  a  poor  student,  whose  whole  fortune 
was  two  horses,  scatter  bags  of  gold  ?  And 
other  gold  Osra  had,  aye,  five  hundred 
crowns.  Would  not  that  be  a  brave  sur- 
prise for  the  poor  student  ?  And  she,  alone 
of  all  awake,  stood  looking  round  her  room, 
entranced  with  the  last  aspect  of  it.  Over 
the  city  also  she  looked,  but  in  the  selfish- 
ness of  her  joy  did  no  more  than  kiss  a 
hasty  farewell  to  the  good  city  folk  who 
loved  her.  Once  she  thought  that  maybe, 
some  day,  he  and  she  would  steal  together 
back  to  Strelsau,  and  sheltered  by  some 
disguise  watch  the  King  ride  in  splendour 
through  the  streets.  But  if  not — why,  what 
was  Strelsau,  and  the  people,  and  the  rest  ? 
Ah,  how  long  the  hours  were,  before  those 
two  horses  stood  by  the  little  gate,  and  the 
sentry  and  the  gate-warden  earned  their 
bags  of  gold  !  So  she  passed  the  hours,  the 
last  long  lingering  hours. 

There  was  a  little  tavern  buried  in  the 
narrowest  oldest  street  of  the  city.  Here 
the  poor  student  had  lodged ;  here,  in  the 
back  room,  a  man  sat  at  a  table,  and  two 


270  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

others  stood  before  him.  These  two  seemed 
gentlemen,  and  their  air  spoke  of  military 
training.  They  stroked  long  moustaches 
and  smiled  with  an  amusement  that  defer- 
ence could  not  hide.  Both  were  booted 
and  wore  spurs,  and  the  man  sitting  at  the 
table  gave  them  orders. 

1  'You  will  meet  the  embassy,"  he  said  to 
one,  "  about  ten  o'clock.  Bring  it  to  the 
place  I  have  appointed,  and  wait  there. 
Do  not  fail." 

The  officer  addressed  bowed  and  retired. 
A  minute  later  his  horse's  hoofs  clattered 
through  the  streets.  Perhaps  he  also  had 
a  bag  of  gold,  for  the  gate-warden  opened 
the  Western  Gate  for  him,  and  he  rode  at  a 
gallop  along  the  river  banks,  till  he  reached 
the  great  woods  that  stretch  to  within  ten 
miles  of  Strelsau. 

"  An  hour  after  we  are  gone,"  said  the 
man  at  the  table  to  the  other  officer,  "  go 
warily,  find  one  of  the  King's  servants,  and 
hand  him  the  letter.  Give  no  account  of 
how  you  came  by  it,  and  say  nothing  of  who 
you  are.  All  that  is  necessary  is  in  the 
letter.  When  you  have  delivered  it,  return 
here  and  remain  in  close  hiding,  till  you 
hear  from  me  again." 

The  second  officer  bowed.     The  man  at 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*          271 

the  table  rose  and  went  out  into  the  street. 
He  took  his  way  to  where  the  Palace  rose, 
and  then  skirted  the  wall  of  its  gardens,  till 
he  came  to  the  little  gate.  Here  stood  two 
horses,  and  at  their  heads  a  man. 

"  It  is  well.  You  may  go,"  said  the 
student ;  and  he  was  left  alone  with  the 
horses.  They  were  good  horses  for  a 
student  to  possess.  The  thought  perhaps 
crossed  their  owner's  mind,  for  he  laughed 
softly  as  he  looked  at  them.  Then  he  also 
fell  to  thinking  that  the  hours  were  long  ; 
and  a  fear  came  suddenly  upon  him  that 
she  would  not  come.  It  was  in  these  last 
hours  that  doubts  crept  in  ;  and  he  was  not 
with  her  to  drive  them  away.  Would  the 
great  trial  fail  ?  Would  she  shrink  at  the 
last  ?  But  he  would  not  think  it  of  her, 
and  he  was  smiling  again,  when  the  clock  of 
the  Cathedral  struck  two,  telling  him  that 
no  more  than  an  hour  now  parted  her  from 
him.  For  she  would  come  ;  the  Princess 
would  come  to  him,  the  student,  led  by  the 
vision  of  that  cottage  in  the  dream. 

Would  she  come  ?  She  would  come  ;  she 
had  risen  from  her  knees  and  moved  to  and 
fro  in  cautious  silence,  making  her  last  prep- 
arations. She  had  written  a  word  of  love 
for  the  brother  she  loved — for  some  day,  of 


*7«  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

course,  Rudolf  would  forgive  her — and  she 
had  ready  all  that  she  took  with  her,  the 
five  hundred  crowns,  one  ring  that  she  would 
give  her  lover,  some  clothes  to  serve  till  his 
loving  labour  furnished  more.  That  night 
she  had  wept  and  she  had  laughed  ;  now 
she  neither  wept  nor  laughed  ;  but  there 
was  a  high  pride  in  her  face  and  gait.  She 
opened  the  door  of  her  room,  and  walked 
down  the  great  staircase,  under  the  eyes  of 
crowned  Kings  who  hung  framed  upon  the 
walls.  And  as  she  went  she  seemed  indeed 
their  daughter.  For  her  head  was  erect, 
and  her  lips  set  firm  in  haughty  dignity. 
Who  dared  to  say  that  she  did  anything  that 
a  King's  daughter  should  not  do  ?  Should 
not  a  woman  love  ?  Love  should  be  her 
diadem.  And  so  with  this  proud  step  she 
came  through  the  gardens  of  the  Palace, 
looking  neither  to  right  nor  left,  nor  be- 
hind, but  with  her  face  set  straight  for  the 
little  gate ;  and  she  walked  as  she  had  been 
accustomed  to  walk  when  all  Strelsau  looked 
on  her,  and  hailed  her  as  its  glory  and  its 
darling. 

The  sentry  slept,  or  seemed  to  sleep. 
Her  face  was  not  even  veiled  when  she 
opened  the  little  gate ;  she  would  not  veil 
her  proud  face,  it  was  his  to  look  on  now 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         273 

when  he  would  ;  and  thus  she  stood  for  an 
instant  in  the  gateway,  while  he  sprang  to 
her,  and,  kneeling,  carried  her  hand  to  his 
lips. 

"You  are  come? "he  cried;  for  though 
he  had  believed,  yet  he  wondered. 

"  I  am  come,"  she  smiled.  "  Is  not  the 
word  of  a  Princess  sure?  Ah,  how  could  I 
not  come  ?  " 

"See,  love,"  said  he,  rising,  "day  dawns 
in  royal  purple  for  you,  and  golden  love  for 


me." 


"  The  purple  is  for  my  King  and  the  love 
for  me,"  she  whispered,  as  he  led  her  to  the 
horses.  "  Your  fortune  !  "  said  she,  point- 
ing to  them.  "  But  I  also  have  brought  a 
dowry.  Fancy,  five  hundred  crowns  !  "  and 
her  mirth  and  happiness  burst  out  in  a 
laugh.  It  was  so  deliciously  little,  five 
hundred  crowns ! 

She  was  mounted  now  and  he  stood  by 
her. 

"  Will  you  turn  back  ?  "  he  said. 

"  You  shall  not  make  me  angry,"  said  she. 
"  Come,  mount." 

"  Aye,  I  must  mount,"  said  he.  "  For  if 
we  were  found  here  the  King  would  kill 
me." 

For  the  first  time  the  peril  of  their  enter- 


274  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

prise  seemed  to  strike  into  her  mind,  and 
turned  her  cheek  pale. 

"Ah,  I  forgot  !  In  my  happiness  I  for- 
got. Mount,  mount !  Oh,  if  he  found 
you  ! " 

He  mounted.  Once  they  clasped  hands  ; 
then  they  rode  swiftly  for  the  Western  Gate. 

"Veil  your  face,"  he  said,  and  since  he 
bade  her,  she  obeyed,  saying  : 

4<  But  I  can  see  you  through  the  veil." 

The  gate  stood  open,  and  the  gate-warden 
was  not  there.  They  were  out  of  the  city, 
the  morning  air  blew  cold  and  pure  over  the 
meadows  from  the  river.  The  horses 
stretched  into  an  eager  willing  gallop.  Osra 
tore  her  veil  from  her  face,  and  turned  on 
him  eyes  of  radiant  triumph. 

"  It  is  done,"  she  cried,  "  it  is  done." 

"  Yes,  it  is  done,  my  Princess,"  said  he. 

"  And — and  it  is  begun,  my  Prince,"  said 
she. 

"  Yes,  and  it  is  begun,"  said  he. 

She  laughed  aloud  in  absolute  joy,  and 
for  a  moment  he  also  laughed. 

But  then  his  face  grew  grave,  and  he  said  : 

"  I  pray  you  may  never  grieve  for  it." 

She  looked  at  him  with  eyes  wide  in 
wonder  ;  for  an  instant  she  seemed  puzzled  ; 
then  she  fell  again  to  laughing. 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke.         275 

"  Grieve  for  it !  "  said  she,  between  her 
merry  laughs. 

King  Rudolf  was  a  man  who  lay  late  in 
the  morning,  and  he  was  not  well  pleased 
to  be  roused  when  the  clock  had  but  just 
struck  four.  Yet  he  sat  up  in  his  bed 
readily  enough,  for  he  imagined  that  the 
embassy  from  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mitten- 
heim  must  be  nearer  than  he  thought,  and, 
sooner  than  fail  in  any  courtesy  towards  a 
Prince  whose  alliance  he  ardently  desired, 
he  was  ready  to  submit  to  much  incon- 
venience. But  his  astonishment  was  great, 
when,  instead  of  any  tidings  from  the  em- 
bassy, one  of  his  gentlemen  handed  him  a 
letter,  saying  that  a  servant  had  received  it 
from  a  stranger  with  instructions  to  carry  it 
at  once  to  the  King  ;  when  asked  if  an 
answer  were  desired  from  his  Majesty,  the 
stranger  had  answered,  "  Not  through  me," 
and  at  once  turned  away  and  quickly  dis- 
appeared. The  King,  with  a  peevish  oath 
at  having  been  roused  for  such  a  trifle  broke 
the  seal  and  fastenings  of  the  letter,  and 
opened  it ;  and  he  read  : 

"  Sire, — Your  sister  does  not  wait  for  the 
embassy,  but  chooses  her  own  lover.  She 
has  met  a  student  of  the  University  every 
day  for  the  last  three  weeks  by  the  river 


276  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

bank."  (The  King  started.)  "  This  morn- 
ing she  has  fled  with  him  on  horseback 
along  the  Western  Road.  If  you  desire  a 
student  for  a  brother-in-law,  sleep  again  ;  if 
not,  up  and  ride.  Do  not  doubt  these  tid- 
ings." 

There  was  no  signature  to  the  letter ;  yet 
the  King,  knowing  his  sister,  cried  : 

"  See  whether  the  Princess  is  in  the 
Palace.  And  in  the  meanwhile  saddle  my 
horse,  and  let  a  dozen  of  the  Guard  be  at 
the  gate." 

The  Princess  was  not  in  the  Palace,  but 
her  women  found  the  letter  that  she  had 
left,  and  brought  it  to  the  King.  And  the 
King  read  :  "  Brother,  whom  I  love  best  of 
all  men  in  the  world  save  one,  I  have  left 
you  to  go  with  that  one.  You  will  not  for- 
give me  now,  but  some  day  forgive  me. 
Nay,  it  is  not  I  who  have  done  it,  but  my 
love  which  is  braver  than  I.  He  is  the 
sweetest  gentleman  alive,  brother,  and  there- 
fore he  must  be  my  lord.  Let  me  go,  but 
still  love  me. — Osra." 

"  It  [is  true,"  said  the  King  ;  "  and  the 
embassy  will  be  here  to-day ! "  For  a 
moment  he  seemed  dazed.  Yet  he  spoke 
nothing  to  anybody  of  what  the  letters  con- 
tained, but  sent  word  to  the  Queen's  apart- 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         277 

ments  that  he  went  riding  for  pleasure. 
And  he  took  his  sword  and  his  pistols  ;  for 
he  swore  that  by  his  own  hand  and  by  that 
of  no  other  man,  this  "  sweetest  gentleman 
alive "  should  meet  his  death.  But  all, 
knowing  that  the  Princess  was  not  in  the 
Palace,  guessed  that  the  King's  sudden 
haste  concerned  her  ;  and  great  wonder  and 
speculation  rose  in  the  Palace,  and  presently, 
as  the  morning  advanced,  spread  from  the 
Palace  to  its  environs,  and  from  the  environs 
to  the  rest  of  the  city.  For  it  was  reported 
that  a  sentinel  who  had  stood  guard  that 
night  was  missing,  and  that  the  gate-warden 
of  the  Western  Gate  was  nowhere  to  be 
found,  and  that  a  mysterious  letter  had 
come  by  an  unknown  hand  to  the  King, 
and  lastly,  that  Princess  Osra — their  Prin- 
cess— was  gone,  whether  of  her  own  will  or 
by  some  bold  plot  of  seizure  and  kidnap- 
ping, none  knew.  Thus  a  great  stir  grew  in 
all  Strelsau ;  men  stood  about  the  streets 
gossiping  when  they  should  have  gone  to 
work,  while  women  chattered  instead  of 
sweeping  their  houses  and  dressing  their 
children.  So  that  when  the  King  rode  out 
of  the  courtyard  of  the  Palace  at  a  gallop, 
with  twelve  of  the  Guard  behind,  he  could 
hardly  make  his  way  through  the  streets  for 


278  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra<> 

the  people  who  crowded  round  him,  implor- 
ing1 him  to  tell  them  where  the  Princess 
was.  When  the  King  saw  that  the  matter 
had  become  public,  his  wrath  was  greater 
still,  and  he  swore  again  that  the  student  of 
the  University  should  pay  the  price  of  life 
for  his  morning  ride  with  the  Princess. 
And  when  he  darted  through  the  gate  and 
set  his  horse  straight  along  the  Western 
Road,  many  of  the  people,  neglecting  all 
their  business  as  folk  will  for  excitement's 
sake,  followed  him  as  they  best  could,  agog 
to  see  the  thing  to  its  end. 

"  The  horses  are  weary,"  said  the  student 
to  the  Princess,  "we  must  let  them  rest; 
we  are  now  in  the  shelter  of  the  wood." 

(i  But  my  brother  may  pursue  you,"  she 
urged,  "  and  if  he  came  up  with  you — ah, 
heaven  forbid  ! " 

"  He  will  not  know  you  have  gone  for 
another  three  hours,"  smiled  he.  "  And 
here  is  a  green  bank  where  we  can  rest." 

So  he  aided  her  to  dismount ;  then,  say- 
ing he  would  tether  the  horses,  he  led  them 
away  some  distance,  so  that  she  could  not 
see  where  he  had  posted  them  ;  and  he  re- 
turned to  her,  smiling  still.  Then  he  took 
from  his  pocket  some  bread,  and  breaking 
the  loaf  in  two,  gave  her  one  half,  saying  : 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         279 

"  There  is  a  spring  just  here  ;  so  we  shall 
have  a  good  breakfast." 

"  Is  this  your  breakfast  ?"  she  asked  with 
a  wondering  laugh.  Then  she  began  to 
eat,  and  cried  directly:  "  How  delicious  this 
bread  is  !  I  would  have  nothing  else  for 
breakfast "  ;  and  at  this  the  student  laughed. 

Yet  Osra  ate  little  of  the  bread  she  liked 
so  well ;  presently  she  leant  against  her 
lover's  shoulder,  and  he  put  his  arm  round 
her  ;  and  they  sat  for  a  little  while  in  silence 
listening  to  the  soft  sounds  that  filled  the 
waking  woods  as  day  grew  to  fulness  and 
the  sun  beat  warm  through  the  sheltering 
foliage. 

"  Don't  you  hear  the  trees  ?"  Osra  whis- 
pered to  her  lover.  "  Don't  you  hear  them  ? 
They  are  whispering  for  me  what  I  dare 
not  whisper." 

"What  is  it  they  whisper,  sweet?"  he 
asked  ;  he  himself  did  no  more  than  whisper. 

"  The  trees  whisper,  '  Love,  love,  love.' 
And  the  wind — don't  you  hear  the  wind 
murmuring,  '  Love,  love,  love '  ?  And  the 
birds  sing,  '  Love,  love,  love.'  Aye,  all  the 
world  to-day  is  softly  whispering,  '  Love, 
love,  love.'  What  else  should  the  great 
world  whisper  but  my  love  ?  For  my  love 
is  greater  than  the  world,"  And  she  sud- 


280  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

denly  hid  her  face  in  her  hands  ;  and  he 
could  kiss  no  more  than  her  hands,  though 
her  eyes  gleamed  at  him  from  between  slim 
white  fingers. 

But  suddenly  her  hands  dropped,  and  she 
leant  forward  as  though  she  listened. 

"  What  is  that  sound  ?  "  she  asked,  appre- 
hension dawning  in  her  eyes. 

"  It  is  but  another  whisper,  love  ! "  said  he. 

"  Nay,  but  it  sounds  to  me  like — ah,  like 
the  noise  of  horses  galloping." 

"  It  is  but  the  stream,  beating  over  stones." 

"  Listen,  listen,  listen  !"  she  cried  spring- 
ing to  her  feet.  "  They  are  horses'  hoofs  ! 
Ah,  merciful  God,  it  is  the  King  ! "  And 
she  caught  him  by  the  hand  and  pulled  him 
to  his  feet,  looking  at  him  with  a  face  pale 
and  alarmed. 

"  Not  the  King,"  said  he.  "  He  would 
not  know  yet.  It  is  some  one  else.  Hide 
your  face,  dear  lady,  and  all  will  be  well." 

"  It  is  the  King,"  she  cried.  "  Hark  how 
ili<  y  j'lillop  on  the  road  !  It  is  my  brother. 
l.ovr,  he  will  kill  you,  love,  he  will  kill 
you." 

"  It  is  the  King,"  said  he,  "  I  have  been 


'  'J  he   horses,    the   horses  !  "    she   cried, 
I'.y  your  I<>\<-  lor  me,  the  horses!" 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke.          281 

He  nodded  his  head,  and,  turning,  disap- 
peared among  the  trees.  She  stood  with 
clasped  hands,  heaving  breast,  and  fearful 
eyes,  awaiting  his  return.  Minutes  passed 
and  he  did  not  come.  She  flung  herself  on 
her  knees,  beseeching  heaven  for  his  life. 
At  last  he  came  alone,  and  he  bent  over 
her,  taking  her  hand. 

"  My  love,"  said  he,  "  the  horses  are  gone  ! " 

"  Gone  ?  "  she  cried,  gripping  his  hand. 

"  Aye.  This  love,  my  love,  is  a  wonder- 
ful thing.  For  I  forgot  to  tie  them,  and 
they  are  gone.  Yet  what  matter  ?  For  the 
King — yes,  sweet,  I  think  now  it  is  the 
King — will  not  be  here  for  some  minutes 
yet,  and  those  minutes  I  have  still  for  love 
and  life." 

"  He  will  kill  you,"  she  said. 

"  Yes,"  said  he. 

She  looked  long  in  his  eyes ;  then  she 
threw  her  arms  about  his  neck,  and,  for  the 
first  time  unasked,  covered  his  face  with 
kisses. 

"  Kiss  me,  kiss  me,"  said  she ;  and  he 
kissed  her.  Then  she  drew  back  a  little, 
but  took  his  arm  and  set  it  round  her  waist. 
And  she  drew  a  little  knife  from  her  girdle, 
and  showed  it  to  him. 

"  If  the  King  will  not  pardon  us  and  let 


282  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

us  love  one  another,  I  also  will  die,"  said 
she,  and  her  voice  was  quiet  and  happy. 
"  Indeed,  my  love,  I  should  not  grieve.  Ah, 
do  not  tell  me  to  live  without  you  ! " 

"  Would  you  obey  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Not  in  that,"  said  she. 

Thus  they  stood,  while  the  sound  of  the 
hoofs  drew  very  near.  But  she  looked  up 
at  him  and  he  looked  at  her ;  then  she 
looked  at  the  point  of  the  little  dagger,  and 
she  whispered  : 

"  Keep  your  arm  round  me  till  I  die." 

He  bent  his  head  and  kissed  her  once 
again,  saying  : 

"  My  Princess,  it  is  enough." 

And  she,  though  she  did  not  know  why 
he  smiled,  yet  smiled  back  at  him.  For 
although  life  was  sweet  that  day,  yet  such  a 
death,  with  him,  and  to  prove  her  love  for 
him,  seemed  well-nigh  as  sweet.  Thus  they 
awaited  the  coming  of  the  King. 

King  Rudolf  and  his  Guards  far  out- 
stripped the  people  who  pursued  them  from 
the  city,  and  when  they  came  to  the  skirt 
of  the  wood  they  divided  themselves  into 
four  parties,  since,  if  they  went  all  together, 
they  might  easily  miss  the  fugitives  whom 
they  sought.  Of  these  four  parties  one 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         283 

found  nothing,  another  found  the  two  horses, 
which  the  student  himself,  who  had  hidden 
them,  failed  to  find  ;  the  third  party  had  not 
gone  far  before  they  caught  sight  of  the 
lovers,  though  the  lovers  did  not  see  them  ; 
and  two  of  them  remained  to  watch,  and  if 
need  were  to  intercept  any  attempted  flight, 
while  the  other  rode  off  to  find  the  King 
and  bring  him  where  Osra  and  the  student 
were,  as  he  had  commanded. 

But  the  fourth  party,  with  which  the 
King  was,  though  it  did  not  find  the  fugi- 
tives, found  the  embassy  from  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Mittenheim  ;  for  the  ambassador, 
with  all  his  train,  was  resting  by  the  road- 
side, seeming  in  no  haste  at  all  to  reach 
Strelsau.  When  the  King  suddenly  rode 
up  at  great  speed  and  came  upon  the  em- 
bassy, an  officer  that  stood  by  the  ambassa- 
dor— whose  name  was  Count  Sergius  of 
Antheim — stooped  down  and  whispered  in 
his  Excellency's  ear  ;  upon  which  he  rose 
and  advanced  towards  the  King,  uncovering 
his  head  and  bowing  profoundly ;  for  he 
chose  to  assume  that  the  King  had  ridden 
to  meet  him  out  of  excessive  graciousness 
and  courtesy  towards  the  Grand  Duke  ;  so 
that  he  began,  to  the  impatient  King's  infi- 
nite annoyance,  to  make  a  very  long  and 


284  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

stately  speech,  assuring  his  Majesty  of  the 
great  hope  and  joy  with  which  his  master 
awaited  the  result  of  the  embassy  ;  for,  said 
he,  since  the  King  was  so  zealous  in  his 
cause,  his  master  could  not  bring  himself  to 
doubt  of  success,  and  therefore  most  confi- 
dently looked  to  win  for  his  bride  the  most 
exalted  and  lovely  lady  in  the  world,  the 
peerless  Princess  Osra,  the  glory  of  the 
Court  of  Strelsau,  and  the  brightest  jewel 
in  the  crown  of  the  King  her  brother.  Hav- 
ing brought  this  period  to  a  prosperous 
conclusion,  Count  Sergius  took  breath 
and  began  another  that  promised  to  be 
fully  as  magnificent  and  not  a  whit  less 
long.  So  that,  before  it  was  well  started, 
the  King  smote  his  hand  on  his  thigh,  and 
roared  : 

"  Heavens,  man,  while  you're  making 
speeches,  that  rascal  is  carrying  off  my 
sister  ! " 

Count  Sergius,  who  was  an  elderly  man 
of  handsome  presence  and  great  dignity, 
being  thus  rudely  and  strangely  interrupted, 
showed  great  astonishment  and  offence  ;  but 
the  officer  by  him  covered  his  mouth  with 
his  hand  to  hide  a  smile.  For  the  moment 
that  the  King  had  spoken  these  impetuous 
words  he  was  himself  overwhelmed  with 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         285 

confusion ;  since  the  last  thing  that  he 
wished  the  Grand  Duke's  ambassador  to 
know  was  that  the  Princess,  whom  his  mas- 
ter courted,  had  run  away  that  morning 
with  a  student  of  the  University  of  Strelsau. 
Accordingly  he  began,  very  hastily  and  with 
more  regard  for  prudence  than  for  truth,  to 
tell  Count  Sergius  how  a  noted  and  bold 
criminal  had  that  morning  swooped  down 
on  the  Princess  as  she  rode  unattended  out- 
side the  city  and  carried  her  off ;  which 
seemed  to  the  ambassador  a  very  strange 
story.  But  the  King  told  it  with  great 
fervour,  and  he  besought  the  Count  to 
scatter  his  attendants  all  through  the  wood, 
and  seek  the  robber ;  yet  he  charged  them 
not  to  kill  the  man  themselves  but  to  keep 
him  till  he  came.  "  For  I  have  sworn  to 
kill  him  with  my  own  hand,"  he  cried. 

Now  Count  Sergius,  however  much  aston- 
ished he  might  be,  could  do  nothing  but 
accede  to  the  King's  request,  and  he  sent 
off  all  his  men  to  scour  the  woods,  and, 
mounting  his  horse,  himself  set  out  with 
them,  showing  great  zeal  in  the  King's 
service,  but  still  thinking  the  King's  story 
a  very  strange  one.  Thus  the  King  was 
left  alone  with  his  two  Guards  and  with 
the  officer  who  had  smiled. 


286  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

"Will  you  not  go  also,  sir?"  asked  the 
King. 

But  at  this  moment  a  man  galloped  up 
at  furious  speed,  crying : 

"  We  have  found  them,  sire,  we  have 
found  them ! " 

"  Then  he  hasn't  five  minutes  to  live!" 
cried  the  King  in  fierce  joy,  and  he  lugged 
out  his  sword,  adding  :  "  The  moment  I  set 
my  eyes  on  him,  I  will  kill  him.  There  is 
no  need  for  words  between  me  and  him." 

At  this  speech  the  face  of  the  officer  grew 
suddenly  grave  and  alarmed,  and  he  put 
spurs  to  his  horse  and  hastened  after  the 
King,  who  had  at  once  dashed  away  in  the 
direction  in  which  the  man  had  pointed  ; 
but  the  King  had  got  a  start  and  kept  it,  so 
that  the  officer  seemed  terribly  frightened, 
and  muttered  to  himself  : 

"  Heaven  send  that  he  does  not  kill  him 
before  he  knows  ! "  And  he  added  some 
very  impatient  words,  concerning  the  follies 
of  Princes,  and,  above  all,  of  Princes  in 
love. 

Thus,  while  the  ambassador  and  his  men 
searched  high  and  low  for  the  noted  robber, 
and  the  King's  men  hunted  for  the  student 
of  the  University,  the  King,  followed  by 
two  of  his  Guards  at  a  distance  of  about 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         287 

fifty  yards  (for  his  horse  was  better  than 
theirs),  came  straight  to  where  Osra  and 
her  lover  stood  together  ;  a  few  yards  be- 
hind the  Guards  came  the  officer  ;  and  he 
also  had  by  now  drawn  his  sword.  But  he 
rode  so  eagerly  that  he  overtook  and  passed 
the  King's  Guards,  and  got  within  thirty 
yards  of  the  King  by  the  time  that  the 
King  was  within  twenty  of  the  lovers.  But 
the  King  let  him  get  no  nearer,  for  he  dug 
his  spurs  again  into  his  horse's  side,  and 
the  animal  bounded  forward,  while  the 
King  cried  furiously  to  his  sister :  "  Stand 
away  from  him  ! " 

The  Princess  did  not  heed,  but  stood  in 
front  of  her  lover  (for  the  student  was 
wholly  unarmed),  holding  up  the  little  dag- 
ger in  her  hand.  The  King  laughed  scorn- 
fully and  angrily,  thinking  that  Osra 
menaced  him  with  the  weapon,  and  not 
supposing  that  it  was  herself  for  whom  she 
destined  it.  And,  having  reached  them,  the 
King  leapt  from  his  horse  and  ran  at  them, 
with  his  sword  raised  to  strike.  Osra  gave 
a  cry  of  terror.  "  Mercy ! "  she  cried, 
"  mercy  ! "  But  the  King  had  no  thought 
of  mercy,  and  he  would  certainly  then  and 
there  have  killed  her  lover,  had  not  the 
officer,  gaining  a  moment's  time  by  the 


288  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

King's  dismounting,  at  this  very  instant 
come  galloping  up ;  and,  there  being  no 
leisure  for  any  explanation,  he  leant  from  his 
saddle  as  he  dashed  by,  and,  putting  out 
his  hand,  snatched  the  King's  sword  away 
from  him,  just  as  the  King  was  about  to 
thrust  it  through  his  sister's  lover. 

But  the  officer's  horse  was  going  so 
furiously  that  he  could  not  stop  it  for  hard 
on  forty  yards  ;  he  narrowly  escaped  split- 
ting his  head  against  a  great  bough  that 
hung  low  across  the  grassy  path,  and  he 
dropped  first  his  own  sword  and  then  the 
King's  ;  but  at  last  he  brought  his  horse  to 
a  standstill,  and,  leaping  down,  ran  back 
towards  where  the  swords  lay.  But  at  the 
moment  the  King  also  ran  towards  them  ; 
for  the  fury  that  he  had  been  in  before  was 
as  nothing  to  that  which  now  possessed  him. 
After  his  sword  was  snatched  from  him  he 
stood  in  speechless  anger  for  a  full  minute, 
but  then  had  turned  to  pursue  the  man  who 
had  dared  to  treat  him  with  such  insult  ; 
and  now,  in  his  desire  to  be  at  the  officer, 
he  had  come  very  near  to  forgetting  the 
student.  Just  as  the  officer  came  to  where 
the  King's  sword  lay  and  picked  it  up,  the 
King  in  his  turn  reached  the  officer's  sword 
and  picked  up  that.  The  King  came  with 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Dnke*         289 

a  rush  at  the  officer,  who,  seeing  that  the 
King  was  likely  to  kill  him,  or  he  the  King, 
if  he  stood  his  ground,  turned  tail  and  sped 
away  at  the  top  of  his  speed  through  the 
forest  ;  but  as  he  went,  thinking  that  the 
time  had  come  for  plain  speaking,  he  looked 
back  over  his  shoulder  and  shouted  : 

"  Sire,  it's  the  Grand  Duke  himself  !  " 

The  King  stopped  short  in  sudden  amaze- 
ment. 

"  Is  the  man  mad  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Who 
is  the  Grand  Duke?" 

"  It's  the  Grand  Duke,  sire,  who  is  with 
the  Princess.  You  would  have  killed  him 
if  I  had  not  snatched  your  sword,"  said  the 
officer,  and  he  also  came  to  a  halt,  but  he 
kept  a  very  wary  eye  on  King  Rudolf. 

"  I  should  certainly  have  killed  him,  let 
him  be  who  he  will,"  said  the  King.  "  But 
why  do  you  call  him  the  Grand  Duke  ?  " 

The  officer  very  cautiously  approached 
the  King,  and,  seeing  that  the  King  made 
no  threatening  motion,  he  at  last  trusted 
himself  so  close  that  he  could  speak  to  the 
King  in  a  very  low  voice  ;  and  what  he  said 
seemed  to  astonish,  please,  and  alnuse  the 
King  immensely.  For  he  clapped  the  offi- 
cer on  the  back,  laughed  heartily,  and 
cried ; 


290  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  A  pretty  trick  !  on  my  life,  a  pretty 
trick!" 

Now  Osra  and  her  lover  had  not  heard 
what  the  officer  had  shouted  to  the  King, 
and  when  Osra  saw  her  brother  returning 
from  among  the  trees  alone  and  with  his 
sword,  she  still  supposed  that  her  lover 
must  die  ;  so  she  turned  and  flung  her  arms 
round  his  neck,  and  clung  to  him  for  a 
moment,  kissing  him.  Then  she  faced  the 
King,  with  a  smile  on  her  lips  and  the  little 
dagger  in  her  hand.  But  the  King  came 
up,  wearing  a  scornful  smile ;  and  he  asked 
her: 

"  What  is  the  dagger  for,  my  wilful  sis- 
ter?^' 

"  For  me,  if  you  kill  him,"  said  she. 

"  You  will  kill  yourself,  then,  if  I  kill 
him  ?  " 

"  I  would  not  live  a  moment  after  he  was 
dead." 

"  Faith,  it  is  wonderful  ! "  said  the  King 
with  a  shrug.  "  Then  plainly,  if  you  cannot 
live  without  him,  you  must  live  with  him. 
He  is  to  be  your  husband,  not  mine.  There- 
fore take  him,  if  you  will." 

When  Osra  heard  this,  which,  indeed,  for 
joy  and  wonder  she  could  hardly  believe, 
she  dropped  her  dagger,  and,  running  for- 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         291 

ward,  fell  on  her  knees  before  her  brother  ; 
catching  his  hand,  she  covered  it  with 
kisses,  and  her  tears  mingled  with  her 
kisses.  But  the  King  let  her  go  on,  and 
stood  over  her,  laughing  and  looking  at  the 
student.  Presently  the  student  began  to 
laugh  also,  and  he  had  just  advanced  a  step 
towards  King  Rudolf,  when  Count  Sergius 
of  Antheim,  the  Grand  Duke's  ambassador, 
came  out  from  among  the  trees,  riding  hotly 
and  with  great  zeal  after  the  noted  robber. 
But  no  sooner  did  the  Count  see  the  stu- 
dent, than  he  stopped  his  horse,  leapt  down 
with  a  cry  of  wonder,  and,  running  up  to 
the  student,  bowed  very  low  and  kissed 
his  hand.  So  that  when  Osra  looked 
round  from  her  kissing  of  her  brother's 
hand,  she  beheld  [the  Grand  Duke's  ambas- 
sador kissing  the  hand  of  her  lover.  She 
sprang  to  her  feet  in  wonder. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  she  cried  to  the  student, 
running  in  between  him  and  the  ambassador. 

"  Your  lover  and  servant,"  said  he. 

"  And  besides  ?  "  she  said. 

"  Why,  in  a  month,  your  husband," 
laughed  the  King,  taking  her  lover  by  the 
hand. 

He  clasped  the  King's  hand,  but  turned 
at  once  to  her,  saying  humbly  : 


292  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

"  Alas,  I  have  no  cottage  !  " 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  she  whispered  to  him. 

"  The  man  for  whom  you  were  ready  to 
die,  my  Princess.  Is  it  not  enough  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  enough,"  said  she  ;  and  she 
did  not  repeat  her  question.  But  the  King, 
with  a  short  laugh,  turned  on  his  heel,  and 
taking  Count  Sergius  by  the  arm  walked 
off  with  him  ;  and  presently  they  called  the 
officer  and  learnt  fully  how  the  Grand  Duke 
had  come  to  Strelsau,  and  how  he  had 
contrived  to  woo  and  win  the  Princess 
Osra,  and  finally  to  carry  her  off  from  the 
Palace. 

It  was  an  hour  later  when  the  whole  of 
the  two  companies,  that  of  the  King  and 
that  of  the  ambassador,  were  all  gathered 
together  again,  and  had  heard  the  story  ; 
so  that  when  the  King  went  to  where  Osra 
and  the  Grand  Duke  walked  together 
among  the  trees,  and  taking  each  by  a  hand 
led  them  out,  they  were  greated  with  a 
great  cheer ;  they  mounted  their  horses, 
which  the  Grand  Duke  now  found  without 
any  difficulty,  although  when  the  need  of 
them  seemed  far  greater  the  student  could 
not  contrive  to  come  upon  them ;  and  the 
whole  company  rode  together  out  of  the 
wood  and  along  the  road  towards  Strelsau, 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke.         293 

the  King  being  full  of  jokes  and  hugely 
delighted  with  a  trick  that  suited  his  merry 
fancy.  But  before  they  had  ridden  far  they 
met  the  great  crowd  which  had  come  out 
from  Strelsau  to  learn  what  had  happened 
to  Princess  Osra.  And  the  King  cried  out 
that  the  Grand  Duke  was  to  marry  the 
Princess,  while  his  Guards,  who  had  been 
with  him,  and  the  ambassador's  people, 
spread  themselves  among  the  crowd  and 
told  the  story  ;  and  when  they  heard  it,  the 
Strelsau  folk  were  nearly  beside  themselves 
with  amusement  and  delight,  and  thronged 
round  Osra,  kissing  her  hands  and  blessing 
her.  The  King  drew  back  and  let  her  and 
the  Grand  Duke  ride  alone  together,  while 
he  followed  with  Count  Sergius.  Thus 
moving  at  a  very  slow  pace,  they  came  in 
the  forenoon  to  Strelsau ;  but  some  one 
had  galloped  on  ahead  with  the  news,  and 
the  Cathedral  bells  had  been  set  ringing, 
the  streets  were  full,  and  the  whole  city 
given  over  to  excitement  and  rejoicing. 
All  the  men  were  that  day  in  love  with 
Princess  Osra,  and,  what  is  more,  they  told 
their  sweethearts  so  ;  and  these  found  no 
other  revenge  than  to  blow  kisses  and  fling 
flowers  at  the  Grand  Duke  as  he  rode  past 
with  Osra  by  his  side.  So  they  came  back 


294  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

to  the  Palace,  whence  they  had  fled  in  the 
early  gleams  of  the  morning's  light. 

It  was  evening  and  the  moon  rose,  fair 
and  clear,  over  Strelsau.  In  the  streets 
there  were  sounds  of  merriment  and  rejoic- 
ing ;  every  house  was  bright  with  light ; 
the  King  had  sent  out  meat  and  wine  for 
every  soul  in  the  city  that  none  might  be 
sad  or  hungry  or  thirsty  in  all  the  city  that 
night ;  so  that  there  was  no  small  uproar. 
The  King  himself  sat  in  his  armchair, 
toasting  the  bride  and  bridegroom  in  com- 
pany with  Count  Sergius  of  Antheim,  whose 
dignity,  somewhat  wounded  by  the  trick  his 
master  had  played  on  him,  was  healing 
quickly  under  the  balm  of  King  Rudolf's 
graciousness.  And  the  King  said  to  Count 
Sergius  : 

"  My  lord,  were  you  ever  in  love  ?" 

"  I  was,  sire,"  said  the  Count. 

"  So  was  I,"  said  the  King.  "  Was  it 
with  the  Countess,  my  lord  ?  " 

Count  Sergius's  eyes  twinkled  demurely, 
but  he  answered  : 

"  I  take  it,  sire,  that  it  must  have  been 
with  the  Countess." 

"  And  I  take  it,"  said  the  King,  "  that  it 
must  have  been  with  the  Queen." 

Then  they  both  laughed  ;  and  then  they 


The  Victory  of  thc^Grand  Duke*         295 

both  sighed  ;  and  the  King,  touching  the 
Count's  elbow,  pointed  out  to  the  terrace 
of  the  Palace,  on  to  which  the  room  where 
they  were  opened.  For  Princess  Osra  and 
her  lover  were  walking  up  and  down  to- 
gether on  this  terrace.  And  the  two 
shrugged  their  shoulders,  smiling. 

"  With  him,"  remarked  the  King,  "  it  will 
have  been  with " 

"  The  Countess,  sire,"  discreetly  inter- 
rupted Count  Sergius  of  Antheim. 

"  Why,  yes,  the  Countess,"  said  the  King, 
and  with  a  laugh  they  turned  back  to  their 
wine. 

But  the  two  on  the  terrace  also  talked. 

"  I  do  not  yet  understand  it,"  said  Princess 
Osra.  "  For  on  the  first  day  I  loved  you, 
and  on  the  second  day  I  loved  you,  and  on 
the  third  and  the  fourth  and  every  day  I 
loved  you.  Yet  the  first  day  was  not  like 
the  second,  nor  the  second  like  the  third, 
nor  any  day  like  any  other.  And  to-day, 
again,  is  unlike  them  all.  Is  love  so  various 
and  full  of  changes  ? " 

"  Is  it  not  ? "  he  asked  with  a  smile. 
"  For  while  you  were  with  the  Queen,  talk- 
ing of  I  know  not  what— 

"  Nor  I  indeed,"  said  Osfa  hastily. 

"  I   was  with  the  King,  and   he,   saying 


296  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

that  forewarned  was  forearmed,  told  me 
very  strange  aud  pretty  stories  ;  of  some  a 
report  had  reached  me  before " 

"  And  yet  you  came  to  Strelsau  ?  " 

"  While  of  others  I  had  not  heard." 

"  Or  you  would  not  have  come  to 
Strelsau?" 

The  Grand  Duke,  not  heeding  these  ques- 
tions, proceeded  to  his  conclusion. 

"  Love,  therefore,"  said  he,  '*  is  very  vari- 
ous. For  M.  de  Merosailles " 

"  These  are  old  stories,"  cried  Osra,  pre- 
tending to  stop  her  ears. 

"  Loved  in  one  way,  and  Stephen  the 
smith  in  another,  and — the  Miller  of  Hof- 
bau  in  a  third." 

"  I  think,"  said  Osra,  "  that  I  have  for- 
gotten the  Miller  of  Hofbau.  But  can  one 
heart  love  in  many  different  ways  ?  I  know 
that  different  men  love  differently." 

"  But  cannot  one  heart  love  in  different 
ways  ?"  he  smiled. 

"  May  be,"  said  Osra  thoughtfully,  "  one 
heart  can  have  loved."  But  then  she  sud- 
denly looked  up  at  him  with  a  mischievous 
sparkle  in  her  eyes.  "  No,  no,"  she  cried, 
"  it  was  not  love.  It  was " 

" What  was  it?" 

"  The  courtiers  entertained  me    till    the 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         297 

King  came,"  she  said,  with  a  blushing  laugh. 
And  looking  up  at  him  again  she  whispered, 
4 'Yet  I  am  glad  that  you  lingered  for  a 
little." 

At  this  moment  she  saw  the  King  come 
out  on  to  the  terrace  ;  with  him  was  the 
Bishop  of  Modenstein  ;  and  after  the  Bishop 
had  been  presented  to  the  Grand  Duke,  the 
King  began  to  talk  with  the  Grand  Duke, 
while  the  Bishop  kissed  Osra's  hand  and 
wished  her  joy. 

"  Madame,"  said  he,  "  once  you  asked  me 
if  I  could  make  you  understand  what  love 
was.  I  take  it  you  have  no  need  for  my 
lessons  now.  Your  teacher  has  come." 

"  Yes,  he  has  come,"  she  said  gently,  look- 
ing at  the  Bishop  with  friendliness.  "  But 
tell  me,  will  he  always  love  me  ?  " 

"  Surely  he  will,"  answered  the  Bishop. 

"  And  tell  me,"  said  Osra,  "  shall  I  always 
love  him  ?  " 

"Surely,"  said  the  Bishop,  again  most 
courteously.  "Yet  indeed,  madame,"  he 
continued,  "  it  would  seem  almost  enough  to 
ask  of  heaven  to  love  now  and  now  to  be 
loved.  For  the  years  roll  on,  and  youth 
goes,  and  even  the  most  incomparable 
beauty  will  yield  its  blossom  when  the  sea- 
son wanes ;  yet  that  sweet  memory  may 


298  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra. 

ever  be  fresh  and  young,  a  thing  a  man  can 
carry  to  his  grave  and  raise  as  her  best 
monument  on  his  lady's  tomb." 

"  Ah,  you  speak  well  of  love,"  said  she. 
"  I  marvel  that  you  speak  so  well  of  love. 
For  it  is  as  you  say  ;  to-day  in  the  wood  it 
seemed  to  me  that  I  had  lived  enough,  and 
that  even  Death  was  but  Love's  servant  as 
Life  is,  and  both  purposed  solely  for  his 
better  ornament." 

"  Men  have  died  because  they  loved  you, 
madame,  and  some  yet  live  who  love  you," 
said  the  Bishop. 

"  And  shall  I  grieve  for  both,  my  lord — 
or  for  which  ?  " 

"  For  neither,  madame  ;  the  dead  have 
gained  peace,  and  they  who  live  have  es- 
caped forgetfulness." 

"  But  would  they  not  be  happier  for  for- 
getting ?  " 

"  I  do  not  think  so,"  said  the  Bishop,  and 
bowing  low  to  her  again,  he  stood  back,  for 
he  saw  the  King  approaching  with  the 
Grand  Duke ;  the  King  took  him  by  the 
arm  and  walked  on  with  him ;  but  Osra's 
face  lost  the  brief  pensiveness  that  had  come 
upon  it  as  she  talked  with  the  Bishop,  and 
turning  to  her  lover,  she  stretched  out  her 
hands  to  him,  saying  : 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*          299 

"  I  wish  there  was  a  cottage,  and  that  you 
worked  for  bread,  while  I  made  ready  for 
you  at  the  cottage,  and  then  ran  far,  far,  far 
down  the  road  to  watch  and  wait  for  your 
coming." 

"  Since  a  cottage  was  not  too  small,  a 
palace  will  not  be  too  large,"  said  he,  catch- 
ing her  in  his  arms. 

Thus  the  heart  of  Princess  Osra  found  its 
haven  and  its  rest  ;  for  a  month  later  she 
was  married  to  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mitten- 
heim  in  the  Cathedral  of  Strelsau,  having 
utterly  refused  to  take  any  other  place  for 
her  wedding.  Again  she  and  he  rode  forth 
together  through  the  Western  Gate  ;  and 
the  King  rode  with  them  on  their  way  till 
they  came  to  the  woods.  Here  he  paused 
and  all  the  crowd  that  accompanied  him 
stopped  also ;  and  they  all  waited  till  the 
sombre  depths  of  the  glades  hid  Osra  and 
her  lover  from  their  sight.  Then,  leaving 
them  thus  riding  together  to  their  happi- 
ness, the  people  returned  home,  sad  for  the 
loss  of  their  darling  Princess.  But  for  conso- 
lation, and  that  their  minds  might  the  less 
feel  her  absence,  they  had  her  name  often 
on  their  lips ;  and  the  poets  and  story- 
tellers composed  many  stories  about  her, 
not  grounded  on  fact,  as  are  those  which 


300  The  Heart  of  Princess  Osra* 

have  been  here  set  forth,  but  the  fabric  of 
idle  imaginings,  wrought  to  please  the  fancy 
of  lovers  or  to  wake  the  memories  of  older 
folk.  So  that,  if  a  stranger  goes  now  to 
Strelsau,  he  may  be  pardoned  if  it  seem  to 
him  that  all  mankind  was  in  love  with 
Princess  Osra.  Nay,  and  those  stories  so 
pass  all  fair  bounds  that  if  you  listen  to 
them,  you  will  come  near  to  believing  that 
the  Princess  also  had  found  some  love  for 
all  the  men  who  had  given  her  their  love. 
Thus  to  many  she  is  less  a  woman  who  once 
lived  and  breathed,  than  some  sweet  image 
under  whose  name  they  fondly  group  all 
the  virtues  and  the  charms  of  her  whom 
they  love  best,  each  man  fashioning  for 
himself  from  his  own  chosen  model  her 
whom  he  calls  his  Princess.  Yet  it  may  be 
that  for  some  of  them  who  so  truly  loved 
her,  her  heart  had  a  moment's  tenderness. 
Who  shall  tell  all  the  short-lived  dreams 
that  come  and  go,  the  promptings  and  stir- 
rings of  a  vagrant  inclination  ?  And  who 
would  pry  too  closely  into  these  secret  mat- 
ters ?  May  we  not  more  properly  give 
thanks  to  heaven  that  the  thing  is  as  it  is  ? 
For  surely  it  makes  greatly  for  the  increase 
of  joy  and  entertainment  in  the  world,  and 
of  courtesy  and  true  tenderness,  that  the 


The  Victory  of  the  Grand  Duke*         301 

heart  of  Princess  Osra — or  of  what  lady  you 
may  choose,  sir,  to  call  by  her  name — should 
flutter  in  pretty  hesitation  here  and  there 
and  to  and  fro  a  little,  before  it  flies  on  a 
straight  wing  to  its  destined  and  desired 
home.  And  if  you  be  not  the  Prince  for 
your  Princess,  why,  sir,  your  case  is  a  sad 
one.  Yet  there  have  been  many  such,  and 
still  there  is  laughter  as  well  as  tears  in  the 
tune  to  which  the  world  spins  round  :-^- 

But  still  a  Ruby  kindles  in  the  Vine, 
And  many  a  Garden  by  the  Water  blowse 

Wear  your  willow  then,  as  the  Marquis 
de  Merosailles  wore  his,  lightly  and  yet  most 
courteously  ;  or  like  the  Bishop  of  Moden- 
stein  (for  so  some  say),  with  courage  and 
self-mastery.  That  is,  if  wear  it  you  must. 
You  remember  what  the  Miller  of  Hofbau 
thought  ? 


AN  INTERESTING  ANNOUNCEMENT* 

The  most  important  work  from  the  pen  of  ANTHONY  HOPE 

since  the  publication  of  "  The  Prisoner  of  Zenda," 

is  to  be  entitled 

"PHROSO" 

and  is  to  be  issued  early  in  J897. 


IT  IS  OF  THE  SAME  GENERAL  NATURE  AS  "THE 
PRISONER  OF  ZENDA,"  BUT  SURPASSES  jt  jt  ji  # 
jl  #  jl  j*  j*  THE  LATTER  IN  MANY  RESPECTS. 


The  hero  is  a  young  English  lord  of  to-day  —  a  man  of  the 
same  stamp  as  Rudolph  Rassendyl  ;  while  the  heroine  is  the  lady 
Euphrosyne  (Phroso)  of  Neopolia  and  more  than  equals  Flavia 
in  courage,  interest  and  charm* 


Henry  B.  Weschler  has  spent  nearly  a  year  upon 
the  numerous  illustrations,  working  from  the  model 
and  making  use  of  a  collection  of  Greek  costumes, 
weapons,  etc. 


The  book  will  be  published  at  $1.50  and  will  be  well  printed  and 

bound ;  and  an  extraordinary  success  is  expected 

by  its  publishers. 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY, 
NEW  YORK. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWEI 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
RenewJ$J?ooks  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 

trJI> 


<&* 

REC'D  LD 

MAR  3    1962 


. 
RECE.VED-    ' 


*-OAN 


*M 


'<i!i  '  ''' 


JAN  IB  ia/U4.9, 


